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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24132370">Magic Island (This Place Is Our Start Line)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tae2Junnies/pseuds/Tae2Junnies'>Tae2Junnies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Parents, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Wolves, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beta Kang Taehyun, Domestic Violence, Falling In Love Despite, First Love, Firsts, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Human Huening Kai, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Mention of Fictional Terminal Disease, Mention of blood, Mentions of forced coming out, Mentions of homophobia, Omega Choi Soobin, Religious Theme, Sad Choi Soobin, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Trigger Warnings, Turns Out That Its, Underage Drinking, Vampire Choi Beomgyu, Vampire Choi Yeonjun, Whipped Choi Yeonjun, Wolves/Humans/Vampires Coexists, mention of bullying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:01:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>78,216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24132370</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tae2Junnies/pseuds/Tae2Junnies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All his life Soobin always felt like he would never be enough. Not enough for his family, not enough for his friends, not enough for his hopes and dreams. It took shy smiles, sun dusted cheeks and blind trust to make him question everything he knew and he needed.</p><p>Or:</p><p>(AU) Vampire Yeonjun needs Omega Choi Soobin for his blood and maybe for more than that. Despite this, Soobin doesn't mind (even though he should).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>608</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I think I forgot how to laugh (But you reminded me)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ladies and Gentlmen,</p><p>Tae2junnies is back, and she brought food with her.</p><p>I wrote this on a whim and we're in it for a ride. This gon' be long</p><p>I never read an AU that mixed Vampires and Wolves without having other mystical creatures along with it. </p><p>In the words of our queen Ariana Grande, "I want it, I got it" (Except that I'm broke so I wrote it myself)</p><p>This story treats a lot of different subjects: religion, self love, emotional hurt comfort, gender roles (you'll get it). Its like that because I have the soul of a therapist/activist hehehe</p><p>Enjoy it and please leave some feedbacks!</p><p>love love love</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rain hit Soobin’s bedroom’s windowpanes violently, making it shake because of the strong wind. The harsh noise startled Soobin out of his daze. His head snapped towards the windows, as if the blinds weren’t closed.</p><p>Not that he would pay attention to that detail. He was completely out of it lately. His mother had noticed, too. He could tell by the scowls she had thrown him earlier that day when he had gotten back from school. He hadn’t tidied up his shoes as soon as he came home like she liked – like he usually did. “Be careful,” she had spat. He bowed and spewed out meaningless apologies before fixing his mistake. Still she had noticed his change of mood.</p><p>Well, if you could call that a change of mood. His mood was always like that. He just barely showed it to his parents. Not to his mother at least. She was the least understanding Omega he had ever met. It was quite odd, too. Especially because she loved to explain passionately what it was to be the perfect omega. Patient. Nurturing. Loving. A caretaker… None of those words could be used to describe Choi Yina.</p><p>If anything, she was quite controlling and stubborn. The type to impose how things should be. And Soobin’s father, an alpha, was way gentler. (How they had ended up together, Soobin would never understand.)</p><p>His father was just so… passive. So soft-spoken, most of the time nice and mellow. The opposite of his mother. The opposite of what an alpha should be like. Soobin liked that about his father. Even though his father and him weren’t that close, he still appreciated how he would defend Soobin when his mother would try to control everything for him. For instance, if it wasn’t for his father, Soobin wouldn’t had had a phone right now – which would be fine (he guessed?) if he wasn’t 17 years old.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin appreciated the little efforts like this. It made his life a bit easier. It made the sad thoughts a little less intense.</p><p>Those were the same thoughts that riddled his mind tonight.</p><p>He was supposed to be doing his homework that were due for the week after. He had already done everything due for the week that was to come, but he didn’t have anything else to do. Also, if his mother caught him doing something else than studying at 7PM on a Sunday night, she would likely scold him for fifteen minutes at least, reviewing all the reasons why he was a failure of a son. Just like when he didn’t fold the laundry right, or when he didn’t play his cello pieces to the perfection, or when he didn’t smile enough when they had a guest over.</p><p>That participated a lot to his sad thoughts. That was the reason he felt like he wasn’t enough sometimes.</p><p>(Almost all the time.)</p><p>That was also why he thought he didn’t deserve love. Not even from his friend.</p><p>To be fair, Soobin didn’t understand how he even had a friend to begin with. He had met Taehyun in their church group. His mother had pushed him to befriend him back when they were respectively six and four.</p><p>(Probably the only thing that Soobin was grateful for, regarding his mother’s controlling personality)</p><p> Soobin, being naturally shy, was reluctant, but Taehyun was very observant, even back then, and made Soobin smile after the older had spent his day with a cute frown on. From then on, Taehyun had clung to him and despite Soobin’s mood swings - in shapes of uncalled for avoidance of the younger - they pulled through and the older had to accept the fact that Taehyun would never abandon nor hurt him.</p><p>He still had trouble to accept it, though. Taehyun had always been a sweetheart to Soobin. The older just thought that he didn’t deserve it. Especially when the younger presented as a beta, and that he was struggling a lot with this because he was the only boy of his family and didn’t want to disappoint them. Taehyun had been very frustrated about that, he had felt powerless and Soobin hadn’t known how to react to that. He loved Taehyun but didn’t know how to comfort the younger because no one, except for Taehyun himself, had ever comforted him before – his father had stopped when he was ten and his mother when he was six, telling him to man up.</p><p>He had tried, but in vain. Taehyun had to handle it on his own, kind of. Soobin was there physically for him but simply couldn’t provide the words, he remembered. He still felt bad about it.</p><p>That was one of the reasons he felt like he wasn’t enough for Taehyun. Lovely, patient, Taehyun.</p><p><em>Amazing</em> Taehyun who had handled Soobin’s presentation like a champ. By doing researches and giving him looks of encouragement.</p><p>Being a male omega was quite unusual, nowadays.</p><p>Apparently, it was a matter of genetics and recessive genes and what-not. Soobin didn’t want to <em>understand</em>. All he could see was the fact that he was <em>weird</em>. That he was the odd one out.</p><p>That didn’t help his case to the eyes of his family. He was kind of the runt of his family.</p><p>To have an omega son was something to pity. Especially in the social circle that his family ran into -The Conservative Religious Pompous Circle, or CRPC as Taehyun liked to call it. It played a lot in the way that his mother acted with him, contrarily to how she acted with his siblings. His brother and sister were ‘perfect’. As in, they had adequate second gender for their first gender. His sister was a beta – neutral, not weird, “even though an Omega would’ve been ideal” (his mother’s words) - and his brother, like father like son, was an alpha.</p><p>And here he was. Part of the 1% of male Omegas population in South Korea.</p><p>That was even worse givent that there were a lot of wolves in the country. Unlike other countries in South East Asia, where there was a majority of humans or of vampires.</p><p>The wolf population was quite imposing in terms of ratios here and the fact that he had to be the odd one out was just the cherry on top of the salty ice cream Sunday that was his life.</p><p> </p><p>The thunder broke, startling him out of his thoughts once again. He looked at his math homework and sighed. He couldn’t focus at all tonight. He decided to change the subject to study. Maybe it was the math that made him zone out in sad places.</p><p>When he was about to take out his history notes, someone knocked, and before he could mutter out a ‘come in’, his mother entered the room, her usual scowl etched on her face.</p><p>“Soobin. I’ve been calling you for the last ten minutes. Come downstairs and set up the table. We’re about to eat.” She huffed out at her son. At first, it hurt to see the look of pure dislike she always seemed to have on every time she looked at him, but he had gotten used to it eventually.</p><p>(It still hurt a little sometimes.)</p><p>“I apologized, mother. I was focused on my math problems.” He lied. You had to come up with small lies like that to avoid useless problems with Choi Yina. She was especially uptight with studies, -- just like the rest of the parents in the CRPC. The Choi siblings weren’t allowed to bring anything else other than As. He had once brought a B - and she had locked him in his room for the whole weekend, letting him eat only a single meal a day. It was quite traumatic for 11 years old. He hadn’t brought anything other than As ever since.</p><p>She probably caught his lie, “Do you think I’m stupid? I know you’ve been distracted all day. Whatever the reason is, you better get your head out of the gutter, Soobin. You’re not allowed to disappoint me more than you already do.” She said harshly. Soobin gulped, lowering his eyes to his desk to avoid the daggers that she was throwing at him with her eyes.</p><p>He was a little numb from the years of verbal abuse, but it still felt his chest tighten when he heard this type of words.</p><p>“I will mother, I am sorry.” He muttered out.</p><p>She tsked and turned her back to him to exit the room, “Just set the table.” she said coldly and walked away, leaving the door open.</p><p>He sighed and got up from his desk.</p><p>Here was another awkward unsufferable dinner.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜ </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Earth to Choi Soobin!”</p><p>Soobin woke up from yet another spacing out. Taehyun was looking at him with a worried frown. Soobin looked at him sheepishly, a small smile adorning his face. Taehyun’s eyes immediately softened at the sight.</p><p>Soobin didn’t really smile all that much.</p><p>It wasn’t that he didn’t like to smile, it was just not something he was used to do. Every time that Taehyun made him laugh, he would have a fond, proud smile to match his own. That was how much his best friend was not used to it.</p><p>(That always made Soobin feel guilty. It wasn’t normal that his best friend had to be relieved that he could actually be able to smile. He could blame his family for making him like that, but it was also mostly him and his chronic negativity.)</p><p>“Sorry, Tae. What were you saying?” He looked at his food while he talked to his best friend. Taehyun had piercing eyes that looked like – and actually could – see through people. Add almost eleven years of friendship, you had Taehyun’s ability to know everything going through Soobin’s mind, like he was living inside it. One look was enough for him to know how Soobin felt.</p><p>“What happened, hyung?” Taehyun asked softly but still bluntly. That summed up Kang Taehyun pretty well.</p><p>“Nothing particular, really. I’ve been zoning out a lot lately.” He answered truthfully, “Don’t worry about it Taehyun-ah.”</p><p>“Yeah, we all know that it’s physically impossible for me not to worry about you, hyung.” Taehyun answered with a low chuckled before going back to his food.</p><p>Soobin sighed, “I know, sorry- “</p><p>“None of that guilt bullshit, hyung. We’re best friends for better and for worse.” Taehyun said teasingly. Soobin looked at him with a grateful look. He truly didn’t know what he had done in his past life to deserve such a kind person in his life. God knew what he would’ve done to himself if it wasn’t for Taehyun’s reassuring, blunt, witty, honest and overall affectionate words during those eleven years of friendship.</p><p>Soobin was a loner. Taehyun accepted that and had stuck to him even though they weren’t in the same class or year, for that matter. He accepted it even though the younger was clearly on the popular side of the social scale. He accepted it despite Soobin’s social anxiety issues and inability to interact with most people.</p><p>(He had been hurt a handful of time, especially since he had had presented as an omega. He was a weirdo, and people - mostly wolves - made sure to make him feel like one. Taehyun made it his mission to tell Soobin that he had nothing to be ashamed of.)</p><p>Taehyun was basically an angel that God had sent on earth to keep Soobin sane. And despite the mixed feelings he had towards religion – not that he would ever say it out loud-, Soobin would pray for Taehyun, before praying for himself, each dinner when they were saying grace.</p><p>“Anyways, what were you saying?” Soobin asked again. He was struggling to eat today’s lunch. The cafeteria’s food could barely be called food sometimes. Still, food was his main comfort source, so he decided to munch the loaf of bread he had bought.</p><p>“I was saying that I got partnered up with this guy in my class that I barely know, and that I wish I had never known,” Taehyun summed up with a small (cute) frown. Soobin’s lips twitched, almost smiling at how cute a pissed off Taehyun could be sometimes.</p><p>“What did he do?”</p><p>“He just exists, I guess,” Soobin snorted ungracefully, schooling his expression when he remembered the last time that he had done that in front of his mother. It hadn’t been well-received, “He’s just overwhelming. The epitome of extraversion, I guess. And <em>so</em> loud, too.” He whined.</p><p>“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Soobin pointed out. It surely sounds like better company for Taehyun than Soobin. Mister negativity, eleven years running.</p><p>“I mean, you know that I don’t mind talking to people. But when I work, I want to get things done a certain way. That requires <em>focus</em> and <em>communication</em>. And Choi Beomgyu just talks but doesn’t really listens. It can be annoying, really fast.” Taehyun huffed out, and once again. How cute.</p><p>“Choi Beomgyu? Never heard of him.” Soobin thought out loud.</p><p>“Of course you didn't, he’s your underclassmen <em>and</em> you don’t know anyone.” Taehyun pointed out with no bite. Soobin rolled his eyes and kept on munching on his bread. He wasn’t going to comment on this attack on his lack of people skills. He wasn’t proud of it, but it was what it was. Taehyun was the social one, and Soobin was the lone wolf. No pun intended.</p><p>“Anyways, he’s this big shot in our grade. One of the only freshmen to be in the football team. Not benched. And not using his vampire strength to help him.” Taehyun was the type to know everything about everyone, so the fact that he knew that was not in the least surprising.</p><p>“Oh, he’s a vampire?” Soobin looked at him a little bit warily.</p><p>“Yeah, he is.” Taehyun answered simply, his eyes holding a knowing look.</p><p>“Well, be careful.” Soobin muttered out, and Taehyun nodded.</p><p>It wasn’t that they held prejudices over vampires. On, the contrary, if Soobin liked one thing about himself and Taehyun, it was their lack of judgment towards the other two species that populated the world. And that was despite the image that they held in their own social circle.</p><p>Being part of the ‘Conservative Religious Pompous Circle’ meant that they were part of a community that automatically thought that wolves were the superior species. That vampires were undead scums that lived on the blood of others and that were basically creatures of the devil himself; and that humans were just weaklings that didn't deserve their spot amongst the world leaders.</p><p>Soobin and Taehyun had bonded over the fact that they both thought that this was bullshit.</p><p>There was no superior species. Character made the person a good or bad, strong or weak person. Not their species.</p><p>What Soobin was worried about was the lingering scentthat Beomgyu may have left on Taehyun that would alarm his parents if they were to find out that their son had been partnered up with a vampire. Taehyun’s parents were pretty chill but they still preferred to avoid trouble within their community. So, they asked their children to avoid big interactions with vampires. At least, ones that would leave a scent.</p><p>Adult wolves had a developed sense of smell. That made them able to distinguish scentsthat Soobin and Taehyun couldn’t detect yet.</p><p>Every being had a scent, to wolves.</p><p>Humans’ scents were neutral. They were more often than not, scentless. Except when they wore perfumes. In that case it just smelled artificial, if that made sense.</p><p>Vampires smelled… Earthy. But also, raw. And a little bit like blood.</p><p>(That helped a lot to cater the image of the big bad vampires that some wolves and humans loved to portray.  Ridiculous, if you asked Soobin.)</p><p>Their scent wasn’t as pleasant as other wolves’ smells, that Soobin could admit. Wolves had a variety of smells, some even indescribable. It helped recognize their second gender, too.</p><p>Alphas had musky, earthy scents. Betas had flowery, fresh scents, and Omegas had sweets, sugary smells.</p><p>That really didn’t help Soobin either. Adding to the fact that he had to go through heats every three months or so, he had a sugary smell, that made other men feel threaten? Somehow?</p><p>Because why would a six-foot one boy would smell like cinnamon, roses with a hint of peppermint, right? That just rubbed a lot of male wolves the wrong way. Like the fact that a boy had the second gender typical of a woman, made them insecure, hit too close to home to the part of them that they were running away from. The unusual part. The more sensitive one that they should absolutely repress, at least for alphas.</p><p>So yeah, his scent was also part of the reason that insecurities were oftentimes popping out of nowhere. He had tried to take scent blockers, but his parents were against it. ‘You should never hide your nature’, said his father. Soobin didn’t blame him for that. He knew that deep down he cared about him. He just didn’t want to create unnecessary debates with his wife. Soobin’s dad was the rational one out of the two, so he understood, in a way, why Soobin wanted to wear those scent blockers but wearing them was not well-seen in the CRPC, so it was in times like this that rationality wouldn’t cut it.</p><p>Despite that, having a sweet scent, or even scent blockers when you were a boy as a first gender wasn’t worse that baring the scent of a vampire. In the CRPC at least.</p><p>If humans were weaklings, vampire were the real threat in the balance of power that represented the South Korean society. They weren’t a lot in terms of number but held a lot of power in the political matter. Still, they had foul reputation in the CRPC.</p><p>If you hadn’t caught on, Soobin’s family’s circle was quite on the bigot side of the equation.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, hyung. I made sure he didn’t approach me too much. My mother can be such a pain about this. Ugh, I hate the CRPC.” Taehyun huffed out. Soobin agreed wholeheartedly.</p><p>“Although that was a shame. Because despite his inability to shut up, he kind of smelled good, for a vampire. Like what beta would smell but with an underlying smell of blood. Not that the smell of blood bothered me all that much,” Taehyun continued.</p><p>“Oh, do I know… You weirdo,” Soobin hushed out teasingly. Taehyun hit him lightly against his shoulder, chuckling quietly, “So, for how long will you have to prepare that project?”</p><p>“Two months, it’s a semester project. I don’t know how I’m going to do that without having my mother on my ass. Beomgyu and I will have to always be few feet apart, and I’ll have to look for ways to make the smell go away. God knows how strong it is. My mother’s flair is disturbingly strong.” Taehyun complained. Soobin nodded and kept on munching his bread.</p><p>“How are things at home?” Soobin asked.</p><p>“As usual… Very awkward.” Taehyun winced out.</p><p>Taehyun had came out to his parents few weeks ago. Well, more like his father had caught him looking at Ru Paul’s Drag Race and confronted him on the matter, making Taehyun blurting out his sexuality on a whim. It was very uncalculated and Taehyun had regretted saying it right after it had came out of his mouth. Especially after seeing his father’s reaction. It wasn’t disgust, according to Taehyun. More like pure shock. And that was still the mood of the house. Apparently, none of his family member was repelled by the idea, they just were shocked and looked at Taehyun in a whole new light. It kind of hurt Taehyun’s feelings, this shift of behavior coming from his family.</p><p>Taehyun wouldn’t say it out loud, because he knew that, given the circle they belonged to, their reaction were quite nice, but Soobin knew that it still made him upset. Especially because he had already been struggling with his place in the household, being the only non-alpha among his siblings, despite being the only boy.</p><p>(If male omegas were rare, girl alphas weren’t completely odd.</p><p>Soobin was <em>that</em> unlucky.)</p><p>Soobin thought he was so brave to come out to his family like that. He kind of envied their reactions, too. God knew what his parents would do to him he came out as bisexual. He shuddered at the blood-chilling thought.</p><p>“I hope that things settled down. At least they kept it a secret to the rest of the community.”</p><p>“And my siblings too. Although the girls all know that something is up. They’ve all been pestering me to know what had happened because my dad and I stopped hanging out on Sundays and my mom doesn’t barge into my room to get the school’s gossip anymore.” He poked the dried pastas in dejection, “Now everything’s is awkward as heck.”</p><p>“They love you, Taehyun. They care about you; they just need to wrap their heads around it. I’m sure that things will be fine,” Soobin said honestly. He was sure of that, because he just knew how loving Taehyun’s family was compared to his. They were quite accepting for a family part of the CRPC. They stood by each other and supported each other and their own values before supporting the CRPC’s values. Taehyun’s sexuality was just an unexpected turn of event for them, Soobin figured.</p><p>“I hope soon, honestly. I’m a little over it, now.”</p><p>Soobin knew that Taehyun needed comfort at that moment, but once again he didn’t know how to provide it through words other than meaningless ‘things will be fine’. So, he put down his third loaf of bread and quickly wiped his hands to stroke Taehyun’s back softly. He did it briefly – they both didn’t need people to get the wrong idea, high schoolers could be harsh – but with a small awkward smile. It was all he could muster, but it was enough for Taehyun to smile back fondly.</p><p>They really both were grateful that they had each other in their lives.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin wanted to go home.</p><p>He was currently in the locker room to dress up for PE, but he wanted to go home.</p><p>Don’t get him wrong. He was rather athletic, to everyone’s surprise. His second gender hadn’t made him weaker physically, and he was so grateful for that.  It was just that his ability to do good in PE didn’t help the constant taunting - and, dare he say it, bullying – coming from his peers.</p><p>He was part of the 1% after all. Nothing would change that. He would always be treated differently, by other people. Wolves, vampires and humans.</p><p>It didn’t matter your species; everyone knew that male omegas were unusual so that just made him a target to mockery, mostly coming from the wolf student body. Vampires and humans in his school were nicer to him because they knew that some wolves were just assholes by nature, especially alphas. But the pitying looks weren’t all that great either.</p><p>That’s what made him want to go home too. He was in the boy interspecies locker room, kind of hiding from the alphas that had made him trip before entering the locker. The pitying looks that the human and vampire boys had thrown him were annoying, so he was hiding in a stall, waiting for the PE class to actually start.</p><p>Since he was an omega and that other boys were becoming insufferable, he was the only wolf allowed to be in the interspecies locker room. They separated vampire and humans from wolves for security reasons. As in, to avoid fights breaking out between riled up wolves, snarky vampires and pissed off humans. At the end of the day, they were all boys, and it was always a contest of ‘who had the biggest balls’, ‘who had the biggest mouth’, who would scream the loudest’.</p><p>All bullshit.</p><p>Soon the bell rang, and he sighed before getting out of the stall and the locker room to go on the football field. He ignored the snarky remarks and snickers coming from the group of alphas, rolling his eyes at the snotty words.</p><p>
  <em>He wanted to go home.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>After running few laps around the field and stretching, the PE teacher asked them to team up for a football game. As usual, he forced them to have a proportionate amount of different species in both teams, because if it were up to them, it would be wolf vs vampire slash humans (slash Soobin).</p><p>As usual, Soobin would be chosen last.</p><p>That bothered him, too. The fact that it wouldn’t be in anyone’s social interest to choose him, or to be overly nice to him.</p><p>Humans and vampires were decent to him, but they still were teenagers and they were aware of his status in the wolf social ladder. So yeah, they were nice behind closed doors, but would never risk their status for him. So, he was chosen last.</p><p> Even though he was one of the best players in their grade.</p><p>(To the point that the coach was pestering him to join the football team, but they weren’t ready for this discussion.)</p><p> </p><p>They played the game, the wolf players would try to show off, being biologically set to do so, alphas like betas; vampires would try to play slyly, but with great agility thanks to their unnatural strength ; and humans… they tried to catch up.</p><p>And Soobin. Well, Soobin would make every moment that he had with the ball count, by actually scoring.</p><p>Of course, that wouldn’t happen without some classmates’ snarky remarks, because they just felt emasculated by the idea that an omega beating them.</p><p>As always, Soobin would ignore them.</p><p>This time though one of them was pissed off. Soobin heard some grumbles that he had stolen his goals, and about how 'his weak ass shouldn’t even be allowed to play with the boys'. Once again, <em>ridiculous</em>.</p><p>Soobin had a lot of insecurities. About his place in his family. About his second gender clashing with his first gender. About whether he deserved an amazing friend such as Taehyun or not.</p><p>But one thing was sure. He was confident about his sport skills.</p><p>And no one would take that away from him.</p><p>That’s why, on a whim, he leveled up the alpha’s stare instead of avoiding it like he usually did.</p><p>That was a stupid mistake. Take a normal adult alpha and do this, he’d growl, because it would be a way to challenge him (Once again, bullshit). Now add the overwhelming number of hormones doing their thing, because Teenagers and Puberty… You found yourself in (unnecessarily) big trouble.</p><p>The alpha – Gunhee, was it – rushed towards Soobin. It was a little ridiculous, because Soobin was quite tall compared to him. But an alpha was an alpha.</p><p>“What are you looking at?” Gunhee spat at him. Soobin avoided his look the best he could because he wasn’t one for confrontation. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be a girl omega in this kind of situation; he was a boy, so he could fight a little when alphas let out their scent of dominance - a potent scent that made Omegas and Betas submit. Once again, their biology was pure toxic bullshit - but it was more complicated for girls, from what Taehyun had told him.</p><p>“Nothing,” He muttered out before trying to go around the alpha and move on. Gunhee had none of that, though. He caught Soobin’s arm in a tight grasp making the omega whimper.</p><p>“Where do you think you’re going, you little bitch.” Gunhee was going red because of the anger, and Soobin winced as the grip tightened. The alpha then scoffed at Soobin’s lack of response and growled, completely disregarding the commotion that he was causing that could alarm the PE teacher.</p><p>“Gunhee, watch out,” one of their classmates said. Gunhee’s grip was getting so tight that Soobin almost couldn’t feel the blood circulating in his hand. He tried to pull away forcefully but the other was still stronger. Gunhee sneered at the action and pushed him hard, making Soobin stumble, hitting his head against the grass field in the process.</p><p>He heard some gasps but was in a little too much pain to know who it was from. He was a little dizzy but nothing too bad. He looked at the alphas snickering at him but didn’t pay attention to them. Gunhee laughed – evilly was the only adjective to qualify it – before turning around and scrambling the scene.</p><p>Some guy, a vampire, helped him to get up, giving him his hand, but Soobin was too embarrassed to pay attention. He muttered out a ‘no thank you’ and got up on his feet quickly, patted out the grass and dirt on his PE short and walked away. PE was over, anyways.</p><p>People were looking at him, but he ignored them. They wouldn’t help him when it mattered so he wasn’t going to give them attention</p><p>(He didn’t blame them, really. He wouldn’t help himself so why would he expect mere strangers to do so.)</p><p> </p><p>That’s why he wanted to go home to begin with.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure that you’re okay?” Taehyun asked for the fifth time, worried frown on. Soobin sighed out a yeah. His wrist was still red from the previous incident – that’s what he had called it in the nurse’s office, when Taehyun forced him to go. It was still sore, but Soobin would put ice on it when he got home.</p><p>Taehyun’s sister, Chaeryeong, was still fuming from when she found Soobin after the PE class. The girls were doing their own football game in the other half of the football field, but she had still seen the scene. She waited for him in front the lockers, with a look that was a mix of anger and worry. Soobin assured her that he was okay, but she wouldn’t hear any of it. She called Taehyun and told him everything. The Kang siblings had been fussing about it ever since.</p><p>“I can’t believe that this asshole got away with it,” she grumbled out. She considered Soobin like her second little brother and was very protective of him. She was also the best female soccer player in the school and her class’ president. She was a fierce alpha, and no one dared going against her. Not even boy alphas.</p><p>She was also the most caring big sister that anyone could ask for. Sometimes Soobin wished that she was his sister. Not that he didn’t like his own sister. Jina was quite fine, she just acted like she only cared about herself and not anyone else. Not even her family.</p><p>Chaeryeong filled that role really well, despite not being blood-related, though. And once again, Soobin didn’t think that he deserved such nice people in his life.</p><p>“It’s okay, Chae. It happens. I’m going to back to my house and put ice over it.” Soobin said quickly, because he knew what Chaeryeong was able to do just because someone hurt one of her siblings (Of course, Soobin was one of them.)</p><p>“It is most certainly does not ‘happen’. That jerk is going to regret going after <em>my</em> family,” Soobin didn’t correct her because he was too busy taming down the warm feeling invading him, “Come on, Taehyun. We’re going to beat the shit out—”</p><p>“<em>No, you’re not</em>,” Soobin cut her, ignoring Taehyun’s laugh at his sister’s antics, “You’re going to go to your next class, and Taehyun to his band practice. End of discussion.” He ended before Chaeryeong and Taehyun could protest.</p><p>“But—”</p><p>“Chaeryeong—”</p><p>“Just a little slap—”</p><p>“Chae. Please.”</p><p>Chaeryeong stopped protesting after looking at Soobin’s pleading look. He was actually exhausted and a little upset. He didn’t want to hear more about one of those asshole alphas.</p><p>“Fine. But if that bruise doesn’t heal by next week, I’m coming for his ass.” She hissed out. Taehyun nodded with fervor to confirm his sister’s statement. Soobin gulped and nodded. It wasn’t addressed to him but even he feared Chaeryeong and was so grateful that he was on her good side.</p><p>“Deal,” He agreed reluctantly. He hoped that she would forget about the whole ordeal but knowing her she wouldn’t.</p><p>“Okay, I’m officially late for my band practice. I’ll text you when I’m done.” Taehyun told Soobin with a reassuring smile. Soobin nodded, giving him a grateful look (but not smiling, because he wasn’t even near the state of mind to push through a smile).</p><p>“I’m going, too. Be careful on your way home.” Chaeryeong said. Soobin nodded again and gathered his stuff to go in the direction of the school exit, throwing one last wave in the Kang siblings’ direction. They smiled at him one last time and walked in the opposite direction that he was taking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He walked out of the school until he reached the gate, few students following him because they were done with their classes, too. Once he was far enough from school, few blocks away, he let out a small sigh of defeat.</p><p>He was tired of being himself, sometimes.</p><p>In those moments he wondered why he existed. Why had God decided to put him on this earth, just to make his life insufferable like this.</p><p>He really didn’t ask to be born like this. A tall Omega, that would never be enough for anyone.</p><p>But here he was, holding his wrist because moving it hurt a little, but wincing at his mother’s reaction when she’ll see it.</p><p>She would probably do what she always did when someone would bully him. Ask what species the bully was. If the person was human or vampire then it was scandalous that it had happened, and that he should’ve fought back, because they were weaker than him (physically or mentally). If the person was a wolf, then he must’ve deserved it.  Being who he was, was a pain for everyone after all.</p><p>He had learned pretty early that everything his mother said was deserved. That even if he couldn’t control his biology, the rest was in his control, and that if he disappointed her, it was purely his own fault.</p><p>At least that’s what his mother had said to him for the last seventeen years of his life.</p><p>(Still, Soobin wondered sometimes how such a classy and delicate looking woman could say such harsh words.)</p><p> </p><p>He kept on walking on autopilot back to his house (he couldn’t seem to call it a home), head still wrapped in clouds of sadness and self-doubt when he heard someone clear his throat.</p><p>He instinctively pushed himself near the curb to let the person behind him cross him, but the person didn’t do that. He didn’t pay attention to it though, head still elsewhere.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>Soobin’s head snapped towards the voice. It was a boy. A vampire, if the smell was anything to go by. he had a skin white as snow, which contrasted with his jet-black hair that were styled to the parted in the middle. He was wearing their school’s uniform. He had a straight nose and the plushiest lips that Soobin had ever seen on a boy. Those same lips were smiling a little, doe eyes looking at Soobin, probably waiting for Soobin to say hi back.</p><p>“Hum, hello,” Was all he could reply to the stranger. He wasn’t used to people talking to him willingly if it weren’t for school project purposes or if their last name wasn’t Kang.</p><p>“Hum… How are you feeling?”</p><p>What was happening?</p><p>Why was this stranger asking him about his feelings?</p><p>“I—Good?”</p><p>“You don’t seem to be sure of your answer,” the stranger pointed out, eyebrow raised in doubt.</p><p>“I—Do we know each other?” Soobin blurted out.</p><p>Well played, Choi. Really gracious. Didn’t your mother teach you anything about manners?</p><p>“…No, we don’t.” The vampire answered out after few seconds of awkward silence.</p><p>Then, what the fuck?</p><p>“… Right.” Soobin only said.</p><p>They kept on walking in silence, no one able to cut the awkward silence, and once again. What the heck was happening?</p><p>“Huh, I was the one who helped you back up on the football field. Well, more like attempted to help you.” The stranger said sheepishly. He still had the same small smile on and Soobin did everything not to look at his lips. Then his brain processed the vampire’s words before he let out a small ‘Ah’ and nodding. That meant that he had seen the humiliating scene from earlier, that he was trying to forget.</p><p>“Hum… I am fine.”</p><p>“Are you sure? It was a pretty bad fall.” Soobin wanted to ask him why he cared.</p><p>But his mother had raised him better than that (if what she did was a word for it), “Yeah, I went to the nurse and it’s nothing. But, huh, thanks for asking.”</p><p>And then, it happened.</p><p>The vampire drew the cutest smile that Soobin had ever seen.</p><p>A smile that made Soobin stumbled a little. Both his heart and on his feet.</p><p>
  <em>…Ok. Now, seriously. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What was happening?</em>
</p><p>“That’s great, then.” The stranger said simply, “I’m Choi Yeonjun, by the way.”</p><p>Choi Yeonjun.</p><p>
  <em>Even his name was pretty.</em>
</p><p>Wow. What was that inner comment?</p><p>He had to calm down. He couldn’t think like that.</p><p>“Huh, I’m Choi Soobin.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah. I know,” Yeonjun snorted out. Soobin frowned at the action.</p><p>“Oh, really?”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re the male omega, right?”</p><p>Ah.</p><p>Everything made sense now.</p><p>If he wasn’t seen as an oddity by his peers, he was seen as some kind of freak show. Because, you know. 1% of the population, and all.</p><p>“Yes. That’s right.” He said curtly. He really didn’t mean to appear rude but quite frankly he just wanted to go home, tend to his wounds, and go to bed (Although his mother would never allow him to rest before doing his homework.)</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes widened, “I mean- not that there’s anything wrong with that. I mean it’s your biology. We are who we are, right—”</p><p>“I’m sorry, but why are you talking to me? We don’t know each other.” Soobin interrupted the vampire before he continued his rather annoying and pointless speech. He figured that he meant well and although the vampire was cute, the speech was also not welcome at the moment.</p><p>“I know but, hum, I just wanted to ask you something, actually.” Yeonjun said hurriedly, ceasing to walk in the process. Soobin huffed and reluctantly stopped his walk, too.</p><p>“What is it?” Soobin blinked.</p><p>Yeonjun hesitated a little before muttering out a “I— I was wondering if you wanted to go out?”</p><p> “Go where?”</p><p>“No, I meant <em>go out</em>. Like on a date?” Yeonjun looked at him with wide eyes, and a weird feeling invaded his chest. He didn’t like that.</p><p>“… With who?”</p><p>Yeonjun threw him an incredulous look, “…With me?”</p><p> </p><p>What the <em>hell</em> was happening?</p><p>He winced at his thought. He didn’t like to say the H word in vain, but honestly, he was wondering if he was dreaming at the moment because this whole situation was just not making sense. He had just met the guy and he was asking him to go on a date with him, as if they were close enough to do so. Plus, what made him think that he wasn’t straight? Did he looked like he was attracted to guys? That thought worried him because if a mere stranger thought so, what about his parents?</p><p><em>What about his mother? </em>The thought crossed his mind in horror.</p><p>The horror must have crossed his face because Yeonjun was looking at him in what seemed to be pure discomfort and a hint of sadness. Soobin then realized that he hadn’t said anything in a hot minute, processing the situation.</p><p>“You don’t have to say yes…” Yeonjun whispered in dejection.</p><p>“NO,” Soobin yelped surprisingly loud, startling both Yeonjun and himself in the process. Since when was he able to speak loudly, “I—I’m just wondering… Wh-why?”</p><p>“Why?” Yeonjun repeated, gulping loudly.</p><p>“Yeah… Why are you asking me out? You don’t know me, you don’t know if I’m attracted to guys to begin with, and I—I’m a wolf, you’re a vampire. I just don’t understand—”</p><p>“-I need your blood.” Yeonjun blurted out.</p><p>“You need my <em>what</em>?” Soobin gasped in horror. He instinctively put some distance between the two of them.</p><p>Yeonjun cut the distance, trying to reach Soobin, catching his wrist. It was the injured one, so Soobin couldn’t stop the whimper that the pain induced. Yeonjun withdrew his hand immediately.</p><p> “I’m sorry, are you okay?</p><p>“I-I’m fine but I-“</p><p>“I have something. Some kind of… Disease that—”</p><p>
  <em>A disease?</em>
</p><p>“-Aren’t you a vampire?”</p><p>“I am… But—”</p><p>“Soobin.” A dreaded familiar voice said.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin gasped quietly and turned around immediately, to see his mother looking at him with her ice-cold eyes narrowed, expression tight. Soobin felt the color of his face draining out. He looked at her looking at Yeonjun. At the small distance between them, and Soobin withdrew himself from the vampire’s side. He felt his chest tightened.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” she asked drily, “Your last class has ended thirty minutes ago, you should be at home doing your homework.”</p><p>“Mother. I’m--” Soobin stuttered. Yeonjun looked at Soobin in shock before bowing. Maybe he was surprise at the way that Soobin acted with his own mother.</p><p>“I apologize, I was talking to a friend. I was going to-“</p><p>“A friend, huh?” she looked sharply towards Yeonjun who still looked confuse at the tension in the air.</p><p>Soobin winced at his choice of words. He shouldn’t have said that.</p><p>Yeonjun chose this moment to introduce himself politely, “Hello, Mrs. Choi, I’m Choi Yeonjun—”</p><p>“I’m sorry but I’m speaking to my son, vamp.” She interrupted Yeonjun. Soobin gasped quietly at the word she had called him. Yeonjun looked so distraught, and Soobin couldn’t blame him. The word vamp was basically a slur when it was used by non vampires. He had never heard his mother use it before.</p><p>He felt so bad for Yeonjun.</p><p>“Mother—”</p><p>“Soobin, we’re going home. Now.” She cut him once again.</p><p>Soobin gulped and she walked around the two high schoolers, not waiting for Soobin. He turned his head towards Yeonjun who looked at him with shock and maybe a little bit of anger, still his eyes were glistening, and Soobin wanted to apologize immediately.</p><p>“Yeonjun-ssi , I’m-- “</p><p>“Soobin, I’m not repeating myself.” His mother said, not even turning around to them.</p><p>Soobin gulped, throwing one last apologetic look before following wordlessly his mother.</p><p> </p><p>That night he went to bed without having dinner.</p><p>Despite that, his stomach was clenching for a whole different reason.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The morning after, Soobin was not feeling well.</p><p>His mother had screamed at him for half an hour, after they had gone home. Because he was an irresponsible brat, who frequented bloodsuckers. Because he got bullied and that it was probably because he was a weak walking disappointment and that even his classmates could see that. Becau—</p><p>Soobin was <em>tired</em>.</p><p>He really was.</p><p>Another poor outcome of this incident was his wrist.</p><p>Since his mother had been so mad, she refused to let him treat his injury properly, to ‘let him learn his lesson’. He had put some ice on it the day after, but the wrist was already quite swollen. Taehyun had been furious when Soobin had tried to hide it from him. Taehyun knew all about his mother’s discipline, and it angered him when Soobin tried to downplay it.</p><p>(Still, Soobin felt like he deserved it a little.)</p><p>And even with that, he still felt like the one that should be pitied the most was Choi Yeonjun.</p><p>Soobin had tried to talk to him that day but the vampire had ignored him pointedly, and frankly, Soobin couldn’t blame him.</p><p>His mother’s words were harsh and uncalled for. Yeonjun probably thought that Soobin was like his mother, too.</p><p>So, Soobin let him have his space. Hopefully, the vampire would forgive him one day.</p><p>(His mind decided to ignore the whole ‘asking on a date’ thing.)</p><p> </p><p>Weeks later, Soobin was <em>still</em> exhausted.</p><p>Fortunately, that didn’t keep him from studying. Otherwise, things would have been seriously bad for him at home.</p><p>Taehyun had convinced him to work at the school library, few days a week. Just so that he spent less time at home, because even if Soobin wouldn’t admit it, since that altercation, he felt anxiety every time that he was at home.</p><p>His mother was against it at first, but his father had actually defended him on the matter, saying that a change of environment could help him be more productive. Soobin was grateful for it, since his mother couldn’t say ‘No’ as easily when his father said something.</p><p>That’s why he was in the library at 8PM, trying to understand the next chapter that they were going to see in economy. The sun was about to set but he still was going stay for another hour. There was something peaceful about staying in the quiet library, with no one to bother him, to taunt him, or to make him feel like he was less than.</p><p>The noise of the turning pages, the smell of the old books, the grain of his econ book all felt grounding. It made him forget who he was, and what his life was, for a second.</p><p>That’s what he needed.</p><p>After thirty minutes of reading his chapter, he sighed and looked up to look around. He saw that no one else but a handful of students were left in the library. He turned his head to the right sharply to stretch his sore neck, closing his eyes while doing so.</p><p>When he re-opened them, his gaze fell on Choi Yeonjun looking at him.</p><p>The vampire was few tables over, and Soobin wondered how he had missed him.</p><p>Yeonjun was looking at him with a strange look, and after few seconds he raised a single eyebrow and waved at Soobin, almost hesitantly.</p><p>Soobin waved back instinctively albeit awkwardly.</p><p>Yeonjun hadn’t talked to him for the last few weeks.</p><p>Sometimes memories of his plush lips came back to his mind, but Soobin always winced and shook his head physically to shake the idea away. He didn’t have any time for this kind of thoughts.</p><p>The omega zone out in his thoughts, so much that he didn’t notice that Yeonjun had gathered his stuff to sit right in across him.</p><p>Soobin gulped and squirmed on his seat. He unconsciously pulled away a little, to make sure that Yeonjun wasn’t too close to him. God knew what his mother would do to him if he came back home later with even a hint of Yeonjun’s smell.</p><p>Still, Soobin’s gaze couldn’t leave Yeonjun’s face.</p><p><em>Because he was attractive</em>, his mind supplied. This kind of face was the reason why he caught on pretty early in his life that he was bisexual. He had struggled a lot with his sexuality back when he was younger.</p><p>It had clashed with his religious beliefs. But then Taehyun came out to him when they were thirteen and eleven and it made it feel a little less… sinful. Taehyun was quite literally an angel, so in his mind, if such a genuinely great person was gay, then… it wasn’t <em>that</em> bad to be different.</p><p>Later on, Taehyun had taught him to be okay with this part of him, because if their family wouldn’t accept it, then they would have to do it themselves.</p><p>And of course, Soobin would repress a lot of his feelings, because he was scared to show anything to his family and suffer from the consequences, but he still had accepted that he was different, and his second gender presentation was just the cherry on top.</p><p>“Hi,” Yeonjun whispered, since they were still in a library.</p><p>Soobin’s eyes let Yeonjun’s lips to look at his doe blinking eyes, “Hello, Yeonjun. How are you?”</p><p>“I’m alright.” Yeonjun answered. He still had the strange expression on, and Soobin felt compelled to ask him what was on his mind. Which was just weird for him, especially because Soobin was on the introverted side of the spectrum. He wasn’t that interested in knowing other people.</p><p>Still, his mother sneer flashed in his mind.</p><p>“I wanted to apologize properly. For what my mother called you.” Soobin explained hurriedly, “She had no right to do so. She’s… very prejudiced of non-wolves. I guess she thought she could say that to you since you are young. In anyways, I wanted to say sorry.”</p><p>“…It’s fine. I’m over it. I just didn’t expect it. Even though we do live in a small town. There was bound to be some bigotry--“</p><p>“Still. What she said was way out of line, and I wanted you to know that I condemn her behavior.” Soobin said seriously.</p><p>And then Yeonjun <em>chuckled</em>.</p><p>It was a pretty sound.</p><p>“The way you talk. It’s so serious, like you’re a teacher or something.” Yeonjun teased him and Soobin find himself frowning at the mockery.</p><p>“No, I don’t.” He protested, knowing that his mouth formed a pout. Taehyun had pointed it out that he did that back when they were children. He found it ugly and tried to stop it, but he couldn’t help it.</p><p>“Yeah, you do. It’s cute, too.” Yeonjun said with a fond expression. Soobin frowned because he didn’t like the fact that his ears were probably glowing. He always blushed from the ears down.</p><p>“I’m not cute.”</p><p>“I didn’t say you were cute, I said that the way you talked was cute.”</p><p>“Well, you asked me out. So, you probably think that my face is cute, too.” He said stubbornly, looking back at his book. After few seconds of silence, he dared looking at Yeonjun whose face was doing something weird.</p><p>It was turning orange.</p><p>What the hell.</p><p>An orange hue was spreading on the vampire’s cheeks, dusting lightly his nose.</p><p>“Wha—Your face is turning orange!” Soobin pointed out, stopping himself from moving to get a closer look at it. It was really unusual but really… pretty.</p><p>Yeonjun huffed and cupped his face to hide his cheeks, “Fuck.”</p><p>“Is that normal?” Soobin asked in genuine concern.</p><p>“It’s just the way that vampires…”</p><p>“That vampires…?”</p><p>“That vampires blush.” Yeonjun whispered so lowly that Soobin thought he had imagined the words. Once they processed, he couldn’t help the snort to come out. He immediately slammed his hand to his face in shock; he hated to snort like that.</p><p>That must have shocked Yeonjun too because he laughed in disbelief.</p><p>So here they were, a vampire and a wolf, both with their hands on their faces, trying not to laugh too loud, probably looking ridiculous in the process.</p><p>When Soobin noticed the looks that people were giving him, he quickly schooled his expression, clearing his throat to calm himself down.</p><p>“Sorry. That was ungraceful of me,” He said instinctively.</p><p>Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, a grin still harboring his face, “Why are you apologizing? It was nice. I think it’s the first time that I see you smile.”</p><p>“It’s also the second time you actually talk to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not to sound like a stalker, but I’ve been observing you since longer than that.” Yeonjun said, and Soobin didn’t even know what to say to that.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Gosh, it does sound like I’m a creep, huh? I meant that I… I noticed you since the beginning of the year.”</p><p>Soobin blinked at the words, “Yeah, you’ve mentioned something like that last time…” He said awkwardly.</p><p>“I meant that I noticed how pretty you were since then.” Yeonjun said boldly, although his cheeks were still dusted in orange. It matched his own cheeks that must have been red.</p><p>No one had ever called him <em>pretty</em>.</p><p>Actually, no one had ever expressed any kind of interest towards him.</p><p>(The one time he had thought that someone liked him, it turned out to be a prank organized by some girls in his class. But he didn’t like to dwell on it, though he remembered Chaeryeong’s fury when she had found out.)</p><p>So, it felt weird to hear this. It also felt weird because Yeonjun sounded genuine.</p><p>“Well, thank you.” He only said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to react to this. I was already so surprised when you suddenly asked me out.” He said apologetically. He was shocking himself by how chatty he was with Yeonjun when he barely knew him, mentioning subject that should be a secret (his sexuality, for one). The worst was that he found himself wanting to talk to him more.</p><p>“Yeah, it must have been weird, since it came out of nowhere.” Yeonjun said sheepishly.</p><p>“What was that about, anyways? Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m really flattered, but wouldn’t you want to know me a little before asking me out?”</p><p>Yeonjun’s smile faltered. Soobin find himself missing it right away.</p><p>“Yeah… I kind of missed this one. Actually, I just didn’t know how to ask you for a favor…”</p><p>Soobin blinked at him, “…So your strategy was to ask me out on a <em>romantic</em> date… for a favor? You know that you could have just asked me normally, right?”</p><p>“Well, do you remember what the favor was? It <em>was</em> rather unusual.” Yeonjun laughed humorlessly. Soobin paused and tried to rake his mind for the memory, but his head as been elsewhere for the past few weeks, and all he could remember was the ‘go on a date with me’ part.</p><p>“I don’t remember, no.”</p><p>Yeonjun paused, maybe in disbelief, maybe to prepare himself to say it again.</p><p>“I… I’m sick, Soobin.”</p><p>Oh. Right.</p><p>“Ah, I remember… And you need…” he couldn’t seem to say the last word.</p><p>“Your blood, yes.”</p><p>His blood.</p><p>Silence came back between the two of them. They were looking at each other waiting for one another to say something.</p><p>“I know it’s a lot to ask from a stranger. We’re barely acquaintances, and I would never ask that from you if I didn’t really need it.”</p><p>“Please explain exactly why you need my blood.” Soobin was more worried about that. Wolves had the benefit to get not weakened from heavy loss of blood like humans, so it wouldn’t a problem really. It just was an unusual request. He knew that vampires didn’t do that. They had blood banks that provided them blood, like grocery stores would provide food to humans and wolves. It was easy to have blood nowadays.</p><p>“So, vampires are pretty much invincible, for lack of better words. Like we don’t get sick, or barely. Our immune system gets highly strengthened by vampirism so even a bullet in the heart wouldn’t kill me. Although we don’t even have a heart." He cleared his throat and kept going.</p><p>He schooled his expression, and with a pitiful sigh he muttered, “How unlucky am I to have the <em>Sanguinaferrum</em> disease, though.”</p><p>“<em>Sanguinaferrum</em> disease?” Soobin had never heard of it before.</p><p>“It means iron blood in Latin. Basically, it’s been two months that my blood did some kind of chemical reaction to the blood I’ve been feeding from. For each 1 liter of blood I drink, my body produces 1 centiliter of liquid iron that circulates in my blood vessels.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Soobin gasped loudly despite himself. Pure liquid Iron was fatal to vampires, everybody knew that. If solid iron was okay for them to be in contact with (thanks to medical progress realized in the twentieth century), liquid iron was extremely dangerous for them, and hard to get a hand on.</p><p>“It’s an extremely rare disease. I think only 1 vampire in 3,000,000 can contract it. It’s clearly too rare for it have real medical advancement on it. Vampires who have it generally either die of the high iron secretion that causes excessive pain or die from hunger.” Yeonjun said gravely. Soobin could feel him shuddering from his seat. Yeonjun was basically dying, from what he was hearing.</p><p>“I’m so sorry for you, Yeonjun.” He only said. He didn’t want to give Yeonjun a pitying look because he himself despised it, but he did feel sorry for the vampire. Having what was some kind of terminal disease must have been scary.</p><p>“It’s okay… I mean it depends. The doctor said that I was pretty much screwed, because human blood wouldn’t cut it. Most of the blood wolves wouldn’t do either… Except really rare type of blood. A type of blood that only 1% of the population had.”</p><p>Soobin blinked at him.</p><p>“Are you implying that…” He couldn’t finish the words hat were stuck in his throat.</p><p>“What I’m saying is that your blood is basically the only thing that could keep me from dying in the next three months.” Yeonjun said almost apologetically.</p><p>Soobin felt one of eyes twitch.</p><p>“… To put it bluntly.” Yeonjun finished.</p><p>Soobin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.</p><p>“I—I can’t believe it.” He said absentmindedly.</p><p>“I know it sounds hardly believable. It’s such a rare disease. I don’t even know how I got it, why I only contracted it recently and not since I was born. It’s almost mystical at this point, but you can look for it on google. It’s an actual thing, and… I’m in pain Soobin,” Yeonjun said, and Soobin’s heart clenched at how defeated he sounded, “We, vampires, don’t need a lot of blood to survive, just three blood bags every five days on average… But even that is too much for me. I’ve been coughing blood and it worries my family. And one thing that I hate is worrying my family. We have enough issues as it is.” Soobin didn’t think he was meant to hear that last part, but he wouldn’t be able to forget it either.</p><p>“The doctor talked about male Omega’s blood in passing, because we only have a handful of them in South Korea, and their blood is so expensive in general. I mean, you guys are rare enough as it is. It’s not like your blood has a different taste, it’s just so rare… but it has healing properties. If I drink enough of it regularly for around a year or so, my blood can go back to normal.” Yeonjun explained, eyes avoiding Soobin’s.</p><p>“I don’t know what to do other than asking you personally. I love my family, but they are vampires and although my mom is newly turned, my dad is almost a hundred years old, and he is also pretty much the most <em>prideful</em> vampire you’ll ever meet. He also has a lot of prejudices on wolves. He immediately ruled out the idea of getting Omega blood through the Wolf Union Blood Bank… Not even for me.” Yeonjun hushed out.</p><p>God, how he understood that feeling. To have your own family think that you’re not worth the trouble.</p><p>“My mother tried to fight him on it, but there’s no way to change his mind. I hate to be the reason of their fights, Soobin. <em>I hate it</em>. I mean, they’re destined – the equivalent of mates in the vampire world - so it’ll be okay, but the tension at home is palpable and it’s just unbearable for me. Plus, I’m just. I—” Yeonjun was starting to choke on his words and Soobin instinctively reached the vampire’s hand to hold.</p><p>He wasn’t thinking of his mother’s reaction if she were to smell Yeonjun’s scent on him. He wasn’t thinking of how cold Yeonjun’s hands was against his but was still sending him tingles like it was burning.</p><p>“It’s okay. Breathe, Yeonjun,” he said softly. He didn’t know how to comfort someone properly, but he knew that when it was a matter of family, he liked to be given simple instructions to calm himself and control his anxiety. It was grounding.</p><p>It seemed to work for the vampire because after few breaths taken, he sighed and looked at Soobin with his beautiful doe eyes.</p><p>“I’m just in so much pain. Imagine having only being able to sustain yourself through food you are allergic to. It’s awful… and—and my dad would probably kill me for asking you this. I got so scared when your mother called me a…” Soobin nodded in understanding, as if to say that he didn’t need to say it, “I got scared because I thought that you were like that, too. That’s why I didn’t talk to you for few weeks. I think that, deep down, I secretly hoped that my father would change his mind. What a <em>fool</em>, I was. I basically starved myself for two weeks, because the pain was too much and he <em>forced</em> me to drink normal blood because my mother was complaining, despite the effect it had.”</p><p>“Now… I’m just… I’m desperate to make it stop.” Yeonjun pleaded, eyes glistening due to unshed tears, and cheeks dusted in orange because of the blood rushing to his face. Soobin squeezed the vampire’s hand and the other immediately turned it around so that they can interlace their hands. Soobin gnawed his lower lip because <em>God</em>, it just felt right.</p><p>
  <em>Do it.</em>
</p><p>Soobin startled at the sound of his wolf conscience. It only talked to wolves in extreme situation. It was there to guide them, but it had only talked to Soobin a handful of times in his whole life.</p><p>Still, he hesitated to talk because his mother-</p><p>Yeonjun looked at him with so much emotions, but when the first tear the first tear fell, he couldn’t stop it.</p><p>“Fine. I’ll help you.”</p><p>He couldn’t bear the sight of Yeonjun like that, he didn’t know why.</p><p>He just had to help him. His wolf conscience was telling him to do so, he couldn’t dismiss it.</p><p>No matter what his mother would say.</p><p>“<em>Really</em>?” Yeonjun looked at him with so much hope, it was heartbreaking.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, really. Now, please,” he scrambled to his schoolbag to take one of the tissues in the back pocket. He struggled a little because he absolutely wanted to keep on holding Yeonjun’s hand. “Please, stop crying.”</p><p>He didn’t need to be an adult wolf to sense the distress that he was oozing. When he pulled out the tissue, he hastily gave it to Yeonjun who wiped the tears on his cheeks sloppily.</p><p>“Thank you, Soobin. Thank you so much. You don’t imagine how much it means to me. I don’t know how to than—”</p><p>“Yeonjun, don’t mention it. Let’s just get you back to health.” He said with conviction. He didn’t think that he had ever been more set on helping someone before in his life.</p><p>Yeonjun sniffed and nodded with a grateful look and a small smile.</p><p>Soobin, for the first time, found himself smiling back at someone and not doing it in spite of himself.</p><p>They shared a look and it just… It felt good.</p><p>Few seconds of pure silence and shared smiles later, Soobin cleared his throat and looked at his watch on his uninjured wrist. It was almost 9PM.</p><p>“Let’s go home. It’s late,” He simply said. Yeonjun nodded and breathed out. They let go of each other’s hands after a last squeeze and smile and quickly tidy up their stuff.</p><p>When they left the library, Soobin didn’t pay attention to the close distance that separated them. He didn’t care about the consequences.</p><p>They were going in opposite direction, so at the school gate they just smiled at each other, Yeonjun thanking Soobin again and Soobin dismissing it <em>again</em>.</p><p> </p><p>They left each other with shy smiles and a strange tingly feeling invading their stomachs.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin knew the risks he was taking by agreeing to this, but for once, he listened to his instincts.</p><p>Hopefully things would go well.</p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Will all the dreams become memories?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's the second chapter (a little shorter but it made sense)</p><p>HOW EXCITED ARE WE ABOUT THIS COMEBACK MOAS<br/>THEY'RE ALL KILLING ME WITH THEIR BLACK OUTFITS AND ALL. JUST YESTERDAY THEY ALL HAD CAT AND DOGS EARS ON STAGE....</p><p>*clears throat*<br/>I'm cool. I'm cool.<br/>Enjoy it my lovelies &lt;3 :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He hadn’t talked to Yeonjun for a week now.</p><p>He wasn’t worried. It had been a mutual agreement to do so, to lay low. Especially because since they knew that they both had parents that were against their respective children hanging out with each other, they had to have a strategy to do this whole thing in secret.</p><p>In retrospect it would be easier for Soobin than for Yeonjun. His mother was quite perceptive, just like Yeonjun’s father, but Soobin had only to hide Yeonjun’s scent and maybe some bites, as for Yeonjun, he had to hide the fact that his health was getting better.</p><p>Yeonjun had explained to Soobin through texts that he loved his mother with everything he got but things had been tense with his father for the last few years. Their personalities and mentalities just clashed a lot, and contrarily to Soobin, Yeonjun had the balls to speak back. This was the reason why Yeonjun wanted to move out as soon as he would be done with high school.</p><p>His disease was a big set back for him, Soobin had pointed out. Sure, enough, Yeonjun’s mother had ruled out college. If Yeonjun miraculously survived (which would have been unlikely to happen if Yeonjun hadn’t reached Soobin) the few months that were left in high school, he would stay at home. Basically, to die.</p><p>That wasn’t in Yeonjun’s plans, though.</p><p>If (‘When’ Soobin had corrected him) he survived he’d move out of town and never come back.</p><p>Soobin liked the sound of that.</p><p>He dreamed of that, too.</p><p>To escape his mother’s claws.</p><p>That was why he worked so hard. To go to any Seoul college and live his life. Even if her mother had made a big impact on his mental health, thanks to Taehyun he knew that he could work on it when he’ll finally be free. He just needed to hold on.</p><p>That’s why they had to be methodical about this whole blood giving ordeal.</p><p>If Soobin got caught, who knew the consequences. His mother could quite literally lock him up in his house and never let him out ever again.</p><p>She had done it once. She could do it again.</p><p> </p><p>So, they had to keep it a secret.</p><p>Well, they still had agreed to talk about it to their respective best friends.</p><p>Taehyun had been extremely shocked by this whole plan.</p><p>Soobin couldn’t blame him, really. Soobin was the least daredevil person you would ever meet. After he had explained the reason why he had agreed (the terminal aspect of the disease) Taehyun had been more understanding as to why Soobin had said yes.</p><p>(Soobin had failed to mention the fact that his wolf conscience had spoken to him. He didn’t want to male a big deal out of it.</p><p>He knew that it was, though.)</p><p>After the third, “Are you sure that it’s a good idea?” Soobin rolled his eyes and nodded. He really was sure that he wanted to help the vampire.</p><p>They were currently in front of the music classroom during lunch. Yeonjun had asked Soobin to meet him there to talk it out. Taehyun had insisted to come despite Soobin’s protests.</p><p>Nothing could make him change his mind, though.</p><p>“Something doesn’t feel right. What if he’s closes to the door? Then you’ll have his scent on you. And what abou—”</p><p>“Taehyun. Please, stop.” He pleaded in annoyance. His best friend was looking out for him, but he wanted to trust his instincts for once. He ignored his fight or flight coping mechanism and knocked on the door.</p><p>Taehyun sighed but stopped talking.</p><p>After few seconds, he heard a faint “Come in.”</p><p>Soobin inhaled and exhaled before entering the classroom.</p><p>They came to the sight of Yeonjun, seated on one of the farthest benches in the back of the classroom, behind a handful of instruments. He was smiling at Soobin and Soobin couldn’t help but smiling back at him.</p><p>“What is he doing here?” someone said.</p><p>Soobin had been so focused on Yeonjun that he hadn’t noticed the blond guy at the other end of the classroom, sat on the bench behind the grand piano. The boy seemed familiar.</p><p>“Hum… I was supposed to meet Yeon—”</p><p>“He’s talking to me, hyung.” Taehyun cut him sternly. Soobin looked his best friend, and Taehyun looked at the blond guy like he wanted to strangle him, his eyes wide and piercing fixed on the smirking guy.</p><p>“Do you guys know each other?” Yeonjun asked before Soobin could. The vampire looked as confused as Soobin.</p><p>“That’s the wolf I’m doing my science project with, hyung” the blond said to Yeonjun with an amused smile. His demeanor was so relaxed, like he had planned this whole thing. He knew that this kind of attitude irked Taehyun so bad. “Kang Taehyun.”</p><p>“I was worried that Beomgyu would disturb us since he had insisted to come, but I see you brought your own friend,” Yeonjun smiled, and Soobin nodded, eyes avoiding Yeonjun’s because he was going to blush and he didn’t want to do it in front of Taehyun. That would create too much questions that he wasn’t ready to answer.</p><p>“… Well, since no one asked, let me introduce myself formally,” Taehyun scowled at the blond more, “I’m Choi Beomgyu, vampire football star and Yeonjun’s bestest friend. I’m also your hope and dreams united in one creature.”</p><p>Soobin thought that Taehyun’s eyes would probably get stuck in the back of his head if he kept on rolling them like that.</p><p>“… Don’t mind him, Soobin. We only have an hour, so let’s talk. You can sit on the chairs next to you,” Yeonjun pointed at the chairs that were probably strategically placed by Yeonjun to create a distance big enough to not risk anything with the scents.</p><p>After the wolves sat on the chairs and pulled out their lunches to eat, Yeonjun cleared his throat.</p><p>“So… We have several things to settle, before starting this.”</p><p>“Yeah, do you want to start?” Soobin asked Yeonjun</p><p>“I just wanted to say that I created a Google doc and sent the link to all of you. All the terms and conditions of this ordeal can be written on it. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” Beomgyu said while he fiddled with his phone.</p><p>Taehyun scoffed, “But he couldn’t create a PowerPoint for our science project.” He muttered.</p><p>“I’m sorry but the difference between then and now is that, I don’t care about the effects of ultraviolet radiation on a bacterium. I actually care about my best friend’s impending death. So open the Google doc and shut it,” Beomgyu said sharply although he still had the same smile he had on since they entered the music classroom. Taehyun gaped at the rudeness but didn’t say anything back. He knew that the situation was actually serious and that didn’t have time for childish banters.</p><p>They all took out their phones and opened the link (How Beomgyu had gotten his e-mail address? Soobin didn’t know.) and saw the title ‘How to save Yeonjun’s ass’</p><p>“Title is still in progress…” Yeonjun intervened. Beomgyu just chuckled.</p><p>“So,” Taehyun started after finishing to eat his first sandwich, “I thought about it and did some researches and as for the scent problem. You can find scent blockers online that specifically get rid of vampire scent. We can order them right now. The problem is neither I nor Soobin can order them, so one of you guys will have to do it.”</p><p>“Beomgyu can do it,” Yeonjun said, to what his best friend nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, I have my mailbox’s key, I can intercept it before my butler.”</p><p>Taehyun and Soobin looked at each other briefly at the mention of a butler but didn’t say anything of it. It wasn’t their place to ask.</p><p>“Okay then. And Yeonjun-ssi, you can buy wolf scent blockers in any pharmacy, so that’s done. The recommended dose is one spray a week, but since you’re taking his blood, we’ll increase it to two. Just to be sure that your father doesn’t notice anything. Everyone is okay with that?”</p><p>They all nodded and proceeded to write it on the Google doc.</p><p>“Now, for the bite. Vampire bites leave a wound that closes immediately when it’s in contact with our saliva, but the scar will stay. So, we have to do something about that.”</p><p>“We can use makeup?” Soobin suggested.</p><p>Beomgyu answered, “We thought about concealer, but it’ll stain your uniform since it’s white, also you’ll have to pay attention when you’re at home. It seems like way too much trouble. So…”</p><p>“So?” Taehyun asked.</p><p>“So, either he bites you on parts that can be hidden in parts that you never show to your family, or we find something else. And from what Yeonjun told me, your mother is capable to ask you to take off your shirt to check for any scars.”</p><p>“That is if she even doubts something.” Said Yeonjun.</p><p>“We can never be too careful, though” Taehyun muttered. Soobin munched his bread while he thought about a solution.</p><p>“Well, there’s always my dad skin patches.” Beomgyu suddenly said.</p><p>“Skin patches? What’s that?”</p><p>“It’s basically fake skin that adapts to your skin tone to hide scars. It’s like super expensive since it looks so real. I know that my dad has a whole stock of it in his study for his companions he drinks blood from when I’m not home.” Beomgyu said nonchalantly, although Yeonjun looked at him with a knowing, sad look. There was a story behind it, but once again, it wasn’t Soobin’s place to ask about it.</p><p>“Great, then. Do you think that you’ll be able to get enough for Soobin?”</p><p>“Oh, yeah! When I said stock, I meant a whole closet of them, he’s barely home, so I won’t have any problem stealing few boxes of them. But Yeonjun will have to bite at the same place. Just not to spoil them.” Beomgyu explained and Soobin and Yeonjun nodded.</p><p>“Now, for the amount of blood drinking. Maybe we should some kind of schedule and find a place where I can drink in peace. Drinking from the source can be quite intense.” Yeonjun said while he fiddled with his phone.</p><p>“Intense how?” Soobin gulped in dread.</p><p>Yeonjun hesitated to answer, making Soobin even more worried, but Beomgyu intervened, “Well, it depends of the amount of blood drank but basically makes you drunk and horny for a hot minute.”</p><p>Soobin gaped at the blunt explanation.</p><p>Drunk and horny? That’s two thing he never felt in his whole life.</p><p>“Beomgyu!” Yeonjun hissed at his best friend.</p><p>“What!?” Beomgyu scoffed in disbelief, “It’s basically that.” Soobin was blushing so bad, he just knew. He felt Taehyun’s gaze on him but pointedly ignored it.</p><p>“No, it’s not! You’ll feel dizziness, like you had alcohol that’s true, but you won’t feel horny. Your brain will just have a chemical reaction because of the bite. It’ll make you clingy and… Needy.”</p><p>“So, basically horny,” Taehyun deadpanned.</p><p>“Exact—”</p><p>“Shut up, Beomgyu!”</p><p>Soobin wasn’t really listening.</p><p>Soobin had barely any experience with all of this. He had never drank alcohol before, so he didn’t know anything about this feeling of drunkenness. He knew even less about any feeling that resembled being horny.</p><p>“Anyway, we have to find a place to do it,” Soobin blushed a little bit more at the choice of words</p><p>“Oh, that’s not a problem. You can just take a room in one of my father’s hotel. It’s a city away, but at least you guys won’t risk meeting anyone you know.”</p><p>“One of you—How rich are you, Beomgyu?” Taehyun asked gob smacked.</p><p>“Pretty rich.” Yeonjun answered sheepishly, as if they were talking about him, “But, yeah Soobin, we can take a room here, Beomgyu can make a weekly reservation.”</p><p>“And it’s on the house,” Beomgyu laughed.</p><p>“That’s very generous of you,” Taehyun said pointedly at Beomgyu, still in disbelief.</p><p>Beomgyu chuckled albeit with a lilt in the laugh, “I’m doing it for Yeonjun. He’s been my best friend since I got transformed. We vowed we would be together for eternity and I’m sure as hell not going to let him break that promise.”</p><p>Soobin could see that Beomgyu used humor as a coping mechanism. If Yeonjun and him were as close as him and Taehyun, he understood his feeling. He couldn’t imagine a life without Taehyun, he would also do everything in his power to help him if he was as sick as Yeonjun.</p><p>Taehyun seemed to understand that too, if the strange look that he was giving Beomgyu was anything to go by. He must had been surprised that his first assumptions about Beomgyu were maybe wrong. Soobin needed to remind himself to talk about it with Taehyun.</p><p>“Okay, so I wrote the address of the hotel on the Google doc. The bus station next to school has a bus line that can bring you to it, all you’ll have to do is do one transfer, but it’s easy peasy really.” Beomgyu explained Soobin, and the older nodded.</p><p>“We’ll match the right time to do it. I assume that your mother knows your schedule by heart.” Yeonjun said to Soobin. The omega nodded; his mother basically created his weekly schedule. She knew everything he did by the second, just like she knew everything about each of her children’s whereabouts.</p><p>“She knows everything, really. You guys have to do it at a moment that she wouldn’t suspect.” Taehyun confirmed. Soobin thought about it for some time.</p><p>“My cello lessons.” Soobin muttered.</p><p>“What about them?” Beomgyu asked. Soobin would have to get used to the vampires’ great sense of hearing, because it was quite freaky the way that they would detect everything like that, at such a young age.</p><p>“I have it each Saturday at 4PM, for two hours. At this time, my mother is at church to have the Charity Committee weekly meetings. She never missed one ever since I could remember. Her meeting starts thirty minutes before the end of my cello lesson, so at 5:30 and it lasts three hours. I’ve known my cello teacher since I was a kid, she’ll definitely agree to reduce my lessons to an hour and an half, if I say that it’s to study for the end of the year exam. She knows that my mother is uptight about studies. My cello lesson is next to our high school, so it should be okay in terms of time taken to go to the hotel. Let’s count thirty minutes for the way from my cello lesson to the hotel. Then it’ll be 6PM, we’ll take an hour and a half to feed you, then I’ll go back to school just to be sure.”</p><p>“What if your cello teacher talks about it to your mother?”</p><p>“I’ll convince my dad to talk to my teacher just to confirm it. And I’ll tell him that I’m studying at the school library right after my cello lesson. He’ll buy it. I think that I can ask him to cover for me and lie to my mother about it. I don’t know why but he’s convinced that working at the library multiply by ten my focus.”</p><p>He finished explaining. All of them looking at him with various degrees of disbelief.</p><p>“And here I thought that you were a softie!” Beomgyu laughed out loud. Soobin just smiled a little, trying to reign down the blush that crept on his cheeks under Yeonjun’s gaze.</p><p>“Hum… I—I’ll just write all of this on the Google Doc just to be sure. I think that it should be good.”</p><p>“Yes, I think so, too.” Yeonjun nodded, eyes still fixed on Soobin in a strange way. The bell then rang, interrupting their trance.</p><p>The vampire cleared his throat and Soobin detached his eyes from him to tidy his lunch stuff and take his bag. He had History class after that, and his teacher was really strict about punctuality.</p><p>The two wolves first exited the classroom and waited for the vampires, always keeping the distance between each other.</p><p>“Okay then. Everyone knows what they must do. Beomgyu, you find take the skin patches and make the hotel reservation, I’ll order the vampire scent blockers and send it to Beomgyu’s address. Yeonjun-ssi, you buy the wolves scent blockers and Soobin hyung, you handle things with your dad and your cello teacher.” Taehyun summed up.</p><p>They all nodded.</p><p> </p><p>This had to work.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin was nervous.</p><p>It was currently Saturday morning and Soobin was pretending to study. He couldn’t focus since today was the day where everything could either go right or really wrong.</p><p>A lot of the boxes on their To-Do list had been checked.</p><p>Yeonjun had easily found the scent blockers the day that they had their meetings.</p><p>Beomgyu also had done the reservation easily thanks to a generous tip to the hotel manager, in all discretion of course; and he had took two boxes of skin patches that he had gave to Soobin on Friday, that the omega had hidden in the only place that he knew that his mother wouldn’t watch; inside his toilet tank. The box was made in a material that wouldn’t deteriorate with the water inside it and they were small enough the fit.</p><p>Taehyun had ordered the scent blockers for vampires and Beomgyu had received it the day after and had immediately given it to Yeonjun.</p><p>As for Soobin. He had talked to his father in private about modifying his cello time to study at the library. He had agreed right away, but when Soobin had implied that maybe they shouldn’t talk about it with his mother he had been more reluctant. Just like Soobin, his father wanted to avoid any trouble with his wife. Eventually, after a lot of pity looks and begging, his father had agreed to talk to his cello teacher, if Soobin promised to be in the top 10 for their next end of the semester exam. Soobin had agreed hastily. He already was in the top twenty, he’d just have to push through the studying but that wouldn’t be a problem for him.</p><p>Eventually everything was going as plan, but the hard part was to come.</p><p>He had to act like nothing was happening with his mother.</p><p>His highly perceptive mother.</p><p>He had barely said anything during breakfast and lunch, too. That wasn’t unusual, though. Just like in a police interrogation, everything that he would say could be held against him, so he tended to purposely fade in the background. His mother hadn’t looked at him in a weird way or with narrowed eyes to show that she was onto him. She had an important meeting that day. To important to care about her son.</p><p>For once, it didn’t hurt Soobin that much.</p><p>An hour and a half before his cello lesson, he got dressed in his usual dress shirt and jeans. He took a single skin patch in his backpack and took his books just to be convincing hat he was indeed going to the library after his lesson.</p><p>He looked at his reflection after washing his face for the third time, because of the nerves.</p><p>He inhaled and exhaled.</p><p>Things were going to go well. It had to go well.</p><p>He climbed down the stairs that gave on the living room where his mother and father were, both reading.</p><p>Hearing her son, his mother raised her eyebrows, but didn’t even glanced at him.</p><p>He stopped between the two armchairs where his parents were sat.</p><p>“I’m leaving now. See you, tonight.” He said steadily enough.</p><p>His mother looked at him, eyes sharp and focused. She gauged him for few seconds and he patiently waited for her to be done with it.</p><p>After few seconds, she tsked, “Go and don’t be late. Your teacher is nice enough to save you from being a complete disgrace, don’t make her wait.”</p><p>He reigned down the sad feeling that invaded him and nodded. His father looked at him with a small sad smile. There was nothing to be done about her harsh words, he had tried before and had abandoned after to many fights. Soobin nodded at his father before bowing to both of his parents and walking to the door to leave.</p><p> </p><p>Here went nothing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Just like planned, his cello teacher was really cool with the time modification. Sometimes he wished that she had been his mother. She was so nice and gentle with him; it was always a breath of fresh air after hearing the harsh words that his mother threw all week and that made him feel less than.</p><p>He focused on his cello lesson, until time was up and just like that he had texted Yeonjun to tell him that he was leaving to go to the hotel.</p><p>The bus ride was a little bit stressful. Somehow, he always turned around to make sure that his mother wouldn’t follow him. He had also bought a black mask and borrowed Taehyun a cap, just to make sure that no one would recognize him.</p><p>Thirty long and anxious minutes later, he arrived in front of a huge and beautiful hotel. The façade was golden and white, each cherub and statue that adorned the top of the building intricately carved. The front was holding thanks to huge pillars that were asking Soobin feel extreme small. He took off his mask and cap before entering the beautiful building</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>From: Yeonjun</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’m already there. Just ask Huening Kai at the direction. He’s a friend of ours.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin gulped as he entered the hotel and a huge lobby was ahead of him. the people at the desk looked at him weirdly, it probably was the old sneakers that made him look so out of place. He should’ve worn his dress shoes.</p><p>He walked to the desk and smiled awkwardly at the desk lady.</p><p>“Hello. I’m looking for Huening Kai-ssi.” He said lowly. He didn’t want to attract any more attention on him. He knew that he smelled even sweeter when he felt stress.</p><p>The human desk lady looked at him with a stern look before sighing and reaching the phone hidden behind the desk. She dialed a number and few seconds later said, “He’s here.”</p><p>Soobin gaped a little. He was expected.</p><p>“He’ll come right up, you can wait at the end of the desk,” she pointed on the right. Soobin bowed quickly before walking where she had directed him. a boy was walking to the end of the desk and when his gaze fell on Soobin, he smiled warmly at him.</p><p>“Hi, you must be Soobin-ssi. I’m Huening Kai, it’s great to meet you.” Huening Kai smiled at him and Soobin awkwardly smiled back. He didn’t know how to act, even if Huening Kai looked very nice.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you, too.”</p><p>Kai nodded, and turned around, “Follow me, he’s waiting for you in the guest house.”</p><p>Soobin followed the guy. He was human, Soobin could tell. He also looked young. Probably younger than Taehyun, despite how tall he was. That made Soobin wonder why he was walking like he owned the hotel. He had the whole tailor-made suit and everything, making Soobin like he was a walking joke.</p><p>“So, how do you know Yeonjun and Beomgyu?” he found himself asking.</p><p>“I’m the manager’s son. I’ve known Beomgyu hyung since I set foot in this hotel when I was ten years old. We’ve became fast friends since our parents work together. And Since Beomgyu hyung didn’t go anywhere without Yeonjun hyung, I became friends with him, too.” Huening Kai explained fondly as they walked out of the hotel to round it until they reached a small but gorgeous house by the stables.</p><p>“I see… Is this where Yeonjun is?” Soobin asked dumbly.</p><p>Huening Kai nodded, “That’s right. Beomgyu and I figured that since you guys need the upmost privacy, you should do your thing outside of the hotel. There will be someone guarding the door, just in case but the guest house is soundproof, so he won’t hear anything.” Kai winked and Soobin felt himself heat up at the hidden implication.</p><p>“The guesthouse will always be opened but just in case, there is a set of keys that is on the table at the front when you’ll enter inside. That way you won’t have to come to the front desk to go do your thing. The guards that works on Saturdays all have been informed and one of them will discreetly escort you to the house as soon as he sees you. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” Kai explained simply. Soobin felt dizzy by all the people mobilized just to have this go well. Beomgyu really had thought all of it through.</p><p>“Thank you, Huening Kai-ssi.”</p><p>“Oh, please, call me Hyukah. I’ll call you hyung, since you’re in the same class as Yeonjun hyung. And I should thank you for helping him. He’s such a good person.” Kai said fondly. Soobin smiled a little at how much people care about Yeonjun. He must have been such a good person.</p><p>Strangely enough, he couldn’t wait to find that out by himself.</p><p>“I’m glad that I can help him.” Soobin muttered. Kai nodded and smiled.</p><p>He then shook his head at the guard that had followed them. he opened the door to the house and Soobin looked at him one last time gratefully before entering, the door closing on him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Things were a little bit awkward.</p><p>Actually, that was a euphemism.</p><p>Things were <em>painfully</em> awkward.</p><p>Soobin had barely any social skill to begin with. Add the fact this situation was odd enough as it is, you found yourself bathed in awkwardness.</p><p>When he had entered, a big room welcomed him. The room took the whole house, actually. On the right there was the small kitchen, where a bowl of fruits was presented. On the left was a door that probably lead to the toilet and bathroom.</p><p>The bed was at the center of it.</p><p>A huge king-sized bed, with teal sheets. On it were scattered rose petals, and the sight made Soobin froze.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck?</em>
</p><p>He hadn’t expected that.</p><p>The noise of the bathroom door opening startled him out of his trance.</p><p>He had found Yeonjun looking back at him with his signature doe eyes and shy smile. Soobin found himself smiling back.</p><p>“Hi,” Yeonjun said, while he crossed the room to get closer to Soobin, “You can put your stuff on the table.” He pointed at the table next to where he was standing. He did what Yeonjun had told him to do and saw the keys that Hyukah had mentioned in the process.</p><p>After he placed his cello on the table and pulled out the skin patch, he turned around to find Yeonjun looking at him patiently with the same strange expression he had on in the music classroom. He was smiling but his eyes said something different.</p><p>Soobin ignored it and walked to the bed, clearing his throat, “What’s with the flowers?” he asked as nonchalantly.</p><p>“It’s some kind of prank that Hyukah pulled to make me uncomfortable, that brat.” Yeonjun scoffed at he still smiled while doing so.</p><p>“Well, it worked,” Soobin attempted to joke but Yeonjun nodded hastily.</p><p>“Let me clear them up. I think it’ll be better in terms of comfort to feed on the bed, anyways.” Yeonjun then proceeded to quickly gather the roses in his hand. Once he was done, he put the heap of flower away, on the table. Soobin sat on the bed awkwardly while he did so.</p><p>“So.”</p><p>“So.” Yeonjun said back.</p><p>They blinked at each other.</p><p>Then they chuckled at the awkwardness of the situation.</p><p>“Wow, this can go on my top 10 most awkward moments in my life.” Yeonjun said, still laughing.</p><p>Soobin nodded with a small smile, agreeing, “Yeah, it’s weird.”</p><p> </p><p>Few minutes after they settled down, they found themselves looking at each other again. Soobin was still on the bed, and Yeonjun pushed against the table.</p><p>“How have you been feeling?” Soobin asked. After all, it had been a week since they had agreed to do that, and God knew what Yeonjun’s father had asked of him.</p><p>“Pretty shitty. My dad forced me to drink again two days ago. My mother cried because of how bad I was coughing up blood after that. It keeps on getting harder…”</p><p>Soobin nodded seriously.</p><p>“Well, I’m here for you.” He said firmly, hand twitching at how much he wanted to hold Yeonjun’s.</p><p>Yeonjun completely pushed himself against the table to approach Soobin smoothly. Soobin gulped as he walked.</p><p>Few moments later he was right in front of Soobin, taking the omega’s hand in his as if he had read his mind.</p><p>“I cannot thank you enough for doing this, Soobin.” Yeonjun said with so much emotions. Soobin looked back at him, speechless by the intensity of the vampire’s eyes.</p><p>“We’ll get you through this.”</p><p>Yeonjun squeezed his hand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“So, how do you want to do this?” Yeonjun asked. He had sat on the bed next to him, barely few inches separating them.</p><p>“Shouldn’t I ask you this?” Soobin said. Surely there was a place where Yeonjun could bite him that would be the most efficient.</p><p>“I mean, I feel like the least I can do is make sure that you are comfortable.” Yeonjun answered in a soft voice. It had some melody to it, that made something in Soobin flutter.</p><p>“… Well. We should just sit on the bed, and then you can… bite me.” he decided hesitantly. Yeonjun nodded and soon enough they were both sat against the headboard, throwing shy glances at each other.</p><p>The bed was extremely comfortable, and the pillow embraced his back, Soobin noticed. But what made him the most comfortable was Yeonjun’s hand not leaving his.</p><p>He hadn’t wrapped his head completely around the fact that they had gotten so close in such short time.</p><p>Soobin wasn’t one to touch people easily. As a matter of fact, it took Taehyun several years to be openly physically affectionate with him, simply because touches reminded Soobin of discomfort and mistrust. When he was younger, his mother would only touch him to pull him forcefully somewhere he didn’t want to; or when she petted his hair or his shoulder when they were in social gathering to show to everyone that she had an actual heart and cared about him.</p><p>Why, oh, why did being in contact with Yeonjun reminded only of comfort and warmness, Soobin couldn’t understand.</p><p>It’s like they both understood how much comfort they needed and since they hadn’t talked enough to know what say to each other to bring this comfort, they decided to use touch to convey how much they wanted to be there for each other.</p><p>Yeah. It didn’t make any sense in Soobin’s mind, either.</p><p> </p><p>“So, where should I bite you?” Yeonjun asked in a whisper. Soobin gulped and Yeonjun’s gaze left their hands to fall on him. Soobin then remembered that Yeonjun could probably hear everything happening with Soobin. His heart beating way too hard, his slow breath and every hitch of it, too.</p><p>“Hum, I figured that you could bite me on my shoulder. I always wear t-shirts and sweaters at home. And I’ll have even more reason to wear them since it’s going to get colder. So, huh, yeah. The shoulder should be good.” Soobin shakily conclude. Yeonjun nodded with a small smile, but Soobin could tell that he was nervous from the way that his smell spiked a little.</p><p>From this small distance, Soobin could also detect things about Yeonjun’s scent that he never had the chance to notice before. Yes, there was the underlying smell of blood but mostly, Soobin couldn’t get over the potent and colorful scent of woodsmoke and primrose. The fruity fragrance that emanated from Yeonjun was so startling but also so sweet and welcomed. All the same, it made sense that the vampire whose skin was always cool smelled like a flower that could only bloom in cooler weather.</p><p>It just made all sense.</p><p>“I know it’s complicated but please relax a little,” Yeonjun chuckled, he sat up to face Soobin who was himself sitting back straight as a pole against the pillows.</p><p>“Okay… Just, is it going to hurt?” Soobin asked shakily as he unbuttoned slowly the first buttons of his shirt to expose his shoulder. He heard Yeonjun’s breath hitch at the sight, but he didn’t really pay attention since he was, at the same time, trying to reign down his blush that was spreading to his shoulder rapidly and trying to focus on relaxing.</p><p>“It’ll sting for a little, but after, if everything goes normally, it’ll feel… good.” Soobin nodded and sighed, as if to exhale all his nerves. Yeonjun’s eyes were still set on his shoulder as if he was in a trance. Soobin figured that his body was simply reacting to the prospect of blood that didn’t make him extremely sick.</p><p>After few seconds of both of them holding their breath, Soobin nodded again, “Okay. Okay you can do it now, I—I’m ready.”</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes left the bare shoulder for a millisecond to look at Soobin’s. he smiled and Soobin noticed his canine getting sharper in the process. Yeonjun’s cheeks were getting more and more orange by the second, and finally his eyes turned a shade of orange and golden as if a flame was lightened up in them.</p><p>It was quite a sight, but Soobin wasn’t worried. He trusted Yeonjun.</p><p>He had to.</p><p>“Okay…” Yeonjun said in a shaky sigh.</p><p>He approached his face from Soobin’s shoulder until his lips were grazing it so, so softly. Soobin closed his eyes to focus on his heartbeat, on his hand holding Yeonjun’s tight, on the earthy and sweet scent that Yeonjun emanated.</p><p>“If anything is wrong, squeeze my hand and I’ll stop.” Yeonjun whispered against his shoulder, and since his lips were almost pressed against them, Soobin more <em>felt</em> the words, through the tingles that it left on his body, than he heard them. The omega nodded but didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>The world paused.</p><p>The first graze on the sharp fangs against his skin spread shivers through his spine. The second they actually broke the skin, Soobin exhaled. He felt the blood under his skin tingle and react to the contact of the sharp fangs, as if it wanted to follow them.</p><p>Then he felt the <em>sting</em>.</p><p>The sharp but short sting that made Soobin tensed immediately.</p><p>Few seconds later he felt something else.</p><p>As Yeonjun sucked the blood, it was like he was releasing some kind of substance that spread all through Soobin’s body in shapes of waves of pure and simple <em>pleasure</em>. He felt himself untensing, until he was relaxed and loosened in the weirdest way.</p><p>He was aware that Yeonjun was drinking his blood, but his body was also hyper-aware of everything’s else. His mind was spinning, <em>reeling</em> at Yeonjun’s hands that had instinctively reached his nape to hold his head. He was trying to breathe out, but he found himself not being able to, because pleasure was spreading in his vein with such an intensity that his brain was unable to function nor to tell his body to function normally.</p><p>Shivers ran through his shoulder when Yeonjun was breathing heavily on it as he fed himself, they rolled through his chest, leaving a trail of goosebumps in the process, until it reached his lower stomach.</p><p>When he felt the way that his stomach tightened despite being so relaxed and putty, he gasped lowly, Yeonjun’s hand held Soobin’s tighter, as his other hand ran through his hair in such a gentle way compared to the way he hastily sucked the blood.</p><p>Soobin was so overwhelmed by the sense overload that when Yeonjun withdrew his fangs from the wound, he didn’t notice.</p><p>He felt the shallow breath against his shoulder that sent tingles on the wound. Soobin blinked his eyes opened, and after he took a second to remember where he was, to get his mind together, he felt Yeonjun’s tongue running through the bleeding wound.</p><p>Soobin tried to turn his head to the vampire but Yeonjun was still holding his nape in a firm although loosened grip. The omega felt the sting disappear, leaving only a small pull on the shoulder’s skin because of the rapidly formed scar.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t say anything for a while, both trying to wrap their minds around the experience that they just had shared.</p><p>Soobin was still holding Yeonjun’s hand and it wasn’t enough.</p><p>He felt the want – <em>the need </em>- to be touched more than that, despite a part of his mind asking him why that was.</p><p>He boldly untangled their hands to wrap his arm loosely around Yeonjun’s frame. The vampire didn’t say anything and nuzzled his face against the wound before wrapping his own arm around the omega’s waist and pull him against his own body.</p><p>Soobin didn’t know what he was doing. His mind was too hazy to make sense of the situation.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Yeonjun whispered against his shoulder. He hadn’t moved his head from Soobin’s shoulder all this time, Soobin nodded slowly before nuzzling the vampire’s hair, that smelled so much like woodsmoke and primrose that it made Soobin’s head spin a little.</p><p>“I’m fine.” Soobin hushed back, his hand on Yeonjun’s back twitching a little as Yeonjun shifted his body to actually look at Soobin.</p><p>His cheeks were tinted in a light orange, contrasting with his usual white snow skin. The lower part of his irises was still golden. He looked flushed and his breath was a little shallow. Soobin figured that he must have looked similar, because he could feel how heated his own cheeks and ears were.</p><p>They looked at each other in silence, trying to catch their breaths (and also getting lost in each other’s eyes.)</p><p>“How about you? Nothing hurts right? It worked?” Soobin in worry asked after a last deep breath. The fog in his mind was clearing away but he still didn’t want to let go of Yeonjun.</p><p>Yeonjun nodded with a broader smile than the one he had received before, he looked livelier than before, too (for a vampire, at least)</p><p>“I don’t have the urge to vomit or feel any kind of burn inside. So, it’s a good sign.” He smiled. Soobin nodded and smiled in relief.</p><p> </p><p>It had worked.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin was on the bus to go back to his high school library and maybe study for an hour before going home.</p><p>He had already texted the group chat that he shared with Yeonjun, Beomgyu and Taehyun to tell them that everything had went smoothly and that he was going back just as planned with an hour to spare.</p><p> </p><p>If the blood drinking had seemed to last hours, it had only lasted less than ten minutes, five of them were spent catching their breaths.</p><p>After that it had been just them fussing over each other, making sure that they both felt okay. After the nth confirmation they had concluded that they both felt well, just a little dizzy, but after walking around the room the dizziness had faded almost completely.</p><p>The stressing part was after that.</p><p>They had found themselves in the large bathroom of the house to cover up their trails. They both were at each end of the bathroom to cover up the scents. It had already been complicated to untangle from each other when they were on the bed but spraying and applying the scent blockers was like wiping away the whole idea that they had shared this moment. Soobin’s heart had clenched a bit when the scent blocker did its jobs and basically erased any trace of Yeonjun’s scent on him.</p><p>(It just didn’t feel right. But he had also forced himself to erase this thought.)</p><p>Once Yeonjun was done, he had waited patiently for Soobin to apply some scent blocker ointment on the wound then the skin patch. It truly worked wonders to cover up the scar, it was as if it had never happened and didn’t’ leave any kind if bump. It blended perfectly with the shoulder’s skin.</p><p>(If he noticed how Yeonjun’s scent spiked when the scar had completely disappeared, he hadn’t said anything)</p><p>Once they were 99% sure that it looked like nothing had even happened, they left the guest house, always leaving a big distance between each other. Yeonjun would have Beomgyu’s driver pick him up later so he had decided to spend some time with Huening Kai while waiting.</p><p>Soobin had to take the bus so they parted ways in front of the hotel.</p><p>They had been quite far away from each other but Soobin could clearly see the smile that Yeonjun had on. He mouthed a last ‘Thank you’ and once Soobin nodded with a small smile, the vampire walked to the entrance of the hotel.</p><p>Soobin had walked to the exit golden gate and when he turned around to look Yeonjun one last time, he saw the vampire looking back at him too with the same fond smile. Soobin had blushed a little before really turning around and walking to the bus station few minutes away.</p><p> </p><p>Here he was then. He was convinced that he smelled normally. People were throwing him weird glances, but it was most likely because he was a boy and had a sweet omega scent.</p><p>For the first time in his life, he <em>really</em> hoped it was because of the sweet omega scent.</p><p>When he reached the school ground there were few students there for the extracurricular activities and what not. No one looked at him with more judgment than usual. Few alphas growled at him but he ignored them and walked to the library.</p><p>When he took his usual seat near the window and set his stuff to study he put out his phone and saw he had missed few notifications on their group chat.</p><p>
  <strong>YJ’s Protection Squad</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: Soobin did you arrived safely?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Beomgyu: You already asked him that ten minutes ago, chill your ass down, Lord</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Tae: Don’t say the Lord’s name in vain Beomgyu -_-</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Beomgyu: dOnT SaY Blablabla—Sorry, Mom lmao</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Tae: -_-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin snorted at the exchange. Soobin didn’t know why Taehyun even tied with Beomgyu. He was usually an expert to ignore people who irritated him, but he fought tooth and nails with Beomgyu every time that the vampire did so much as breath the wrong way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me: I’m at the library, right now</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: I think that no one noticed anything in the bus, or at school. People didn’t look at me with more disgust than usual lol</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: Well 1. fuck them people</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: 2. That’s great then</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Tae: Are you actually going to study?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Yeah probably, my dad wants me to be in the top 10 now</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: You’re already amongst the first in your class tho</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Beomgyu: Damn Soobin hyung you’re smart smart</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: lol thanks</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: also, I’m good yeah but ill have to work harder, just to not be a family disappointment for once lol</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin winced at the way he phrased that message. He was used to talk in such a way with Taehyun and had forgotten that he was talking with people he wasn’t completely close to.</p><p>His people skills were all over the place lately. He liked Yeonjun and Beomgyu, but they were rather extroverted compared to Soobin and Taehyun. He didn’t know how to act with them on matters that weren’t about Yeonjun’s problem, yet. It took a lot of coxing from Taehyun for him to even interact in their group chat to begin with.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: Well, what’s really important is to be yourself and meeting your own expectations</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun: Don’t you think?</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Despite himself, Soobin smiled at the nice words. Yeonjun’s encouraging words were similar to what Taehyun was making him eat for breakfast for the last 11 years. It was still very welcomed and appreciated even though integrating them wasn’t as easy as it sounded.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Me: You’re right</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Thanks</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeonjun:  :D</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>That night, when they said grace during dinner, Soobin thanked the lord for having Taehyun in his life. He thanked him for introducing him to Yeonjun and Beomgyu. He thanked him for giving Yeonjun a chance to survive thanks to his own blood.</p><p>“We’re <em>done</em>, Soobin.” His mother interrupted his prayer sharply. He blinked his eyes opened to see his family looking at him weirdly. His mother had her eyes narrowed as she gauged him.</p><p>It was true that Soobin never prayed longer than necessary. During grace like when they were at church.</p><p>Soobin had a weird relationship with religion.</p><p>He was a Christian. He had basically spent his childhood at church because of his family.</p><p>He believed in God.</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes it was hard to. But he did.</p><p> </p><p>It <em>was</em> hard to believe that there was a higher being - that was supposed to care for him - that would put him in such a position.</p><p>In such a family that spent their free times to make him feel like he wasn’t welcomed, as if he was a pure outsider.</p><p>A higher being that would give him such a <em>mother</em>.</p><p>He remembered the time where he thought that his mother loved him. He was six or maybe seven. She used to smile a lot at him, to hug him and give him kisses every time that she had the opportunity.</p><p>Then something shifted.</p><p>He never really understood what had happened but one day he looked up at her and he found her looking at him with… disgust? Not hate per say, but pure <em>disgust</em>.</p><p>And she never stopped looking at him like that ever since.</p><p>He tried to make it up to her. He worked hard. Made her drawings. Had a stellar behavior at church. Practice his cello with all he had.</p><p>It was never enough.</p><p><em>He</em> was never enough.</p><p>Her harsh words that made him feel like he was useless scums still stuck to him like a chewing gum under a shoe that you couldn’t get rid of.</p><p>He felt like he was not enough.</p><p>Like his smiles were useless and ugly anyway.</p><p>Like his As should have been A+.</p><p>Like he wasn’t worthy of attention. Of love.</p><p>She had taught him all of those things really early on and even if she didn’t love him, didn’t care for him, he still found himself believing her.</p><p>If his own mother thought that of him. The woman who had <em>birthed</em> him. He had no reason to believe that it wasn’t true.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin wasn’t stupid.</p><p>He knew that he shouldn’t think all these things. That it would destroy his mental health, little by little.</p><p>But it was imprinted in his mind. It was tattooed in it. No one, not even Taehyun, could make him stop think lowly of himself.</p><p>He worked hard in the hope that one day he would get out of his house and maybe have another life. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew that a change of scenery wouldn’t erase words of verbal abuse.</p><p> </p><p>That’s why he had a hard time with religion.</p><p>He understood the idea that God had a plan for everyone and that his time would come to be happy.</p><p>But if this plan required more years of abuse like this, he’d rather give up on any kind of hope and expectations. He’d rather numb himself down and not wait for anything else than what he already had. Sadness and despair.</p><p>(<em>Mister negativity</em>, his mind whispered)</p><p>Sometimes it was even calming to think that there was no one out there. That this life was just a series of unfortunate events that no one had any control over.</p><p>He sure as hell didn’t have control over it.</p><p>“I’m sorry, mother.” he muttered before picking up his fork and poking the food on his plate. He avoided the glances throwing his way and started to eat.</p><p>“What are you so grateful for, huh?” she taunted him with a hint of snark.</p><p>He painfully gulped the piece of meat he was chewing, “Nothing worth mentioning, mother.” he answered politely.</p><p>“Excuse me? I asked you a question, you better answer.” She sneered at him. The silence that followed was tense. His brother and sister both had grim looks and were purposefully avoiding looking at anyone is the eyes. His father looked at his plate with a tired look.</p><p>They all were tired.</p><p>“An omega should make other people feel grounded and do what is asked of them.” She explained with a scowl. Soobin did everything in his power not to roll his eyes at the irony of her words. She was the last person to do that, “Answer.”</p><p>“I was praying for Taehyun and for having a roof over my head.”</p><p>“It took you so much time, only to pray for that? And why are you praying for your friend before praying for us?” She was nitpicking at this point. Soobin lowered his gaze. He heard someone sigh.</p><p>“Yina, let’s just eat, please.” His father asked calmly.</p><p>“I won’t eat in front of an ungrateful sorry excuse of an omega that cares more about his single friend than his family,” she hissed but it was clearly directed at Soobin.</p><p>“Taehyun is his best friend,” his brother said lowly. Soobin stared at his brother that still was looking at his dinner. It surprised Soobin that Hyunbin even acknowledged the situation, but actually defending him was something that he had never done before.</p><p>Her mother must have been surprised too, “Focus on your food instead of speaking when no one asked you to, Hyunbin.”</p><p>“I don’t care if Taehyun is his dog. he shouldn’t be so attached to him. What would people say if they <em>misunderstood</em> their relationship?” She explained in irritation.</p><p>Soobin’s head snapped towards her. Her eyes were still narrowed, glaring daggers at him.</p><p>“What are you saying, Yina?” his father huffed. Soobin schooled his expression, trying to look like he was outraged at the simple assumption that he would be attracted to his best friend.</p><p>“Don’t think I didn’t notice the way that Taehyun <em>acts</em>. He’s probably one of those freaks that attracted to their own gender, for all we know… We don’t want to be associated to any of this.” She sneered in disgust.</p><p>Soobin’s stomach clenched.</p><p>How had she even found out about Taehyun’s sexuality?</p><p>He acted as if he was clueless.</p><p>“Taehyun isn’t gay, mother.” he simply stated. Nice and simple.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care what he is. I don’t want you to see him anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>Something in Soobin shattered.</p><p> </p><p>“Yina! You’re completely exaggerating right now!” Soobin’s father hissed at her. Everyone was shocked by her decision. Hyunbin and Jina were both looking between their brother and their mother with their eyes wide.</p><p>Taehyun was Soobin’s other half.</p><p>He really couldn’t do it without him.</p><p>He couldn’t live without him.</p><p>Everyone with eyes could see that.</p><p>“I’m doing this for his own good.” She said with finality.</p><p>“Mother, please don’t do this,” Soobin pleaded, his voice watery. He could feel the tears filling his eyes in a pitifully fast way. “I’ll hang out with him less. I’ll focus more on school. I’ll be ranked first in my whole year. I’ll spend more time at church. Just, please… Please don’t do this.”</p><p>He knew that he was crying at this point. He knew that all of his family was looking at him with various degree of pity.</p><p>And his mother…</p><p>Well, Choi Yina. She was looking at him like she always did.</p><p>With pure disgust.</p><p>“He and his family with their <em>progressive</em> values. We’re not like that, Soobin. I’m sure that he’s the reason you hung out with that vampire. Look at you. He made you weaker than what you already were. You disgust me.”</p><p>“Yina. Stop—”</p><p>“I made my decision. Now I don’t want to hear a single word. I didn’t cook this dinner for nothing. Now let’s eat.” She sharply interrupted her husband.</p><p>Soobin was still looking at her in tears. Waiting for someone. For something.</p><p>For anything.</p><p>But he didn’t have any control, anyways.</p><p> </p><p>One second, he was seated on his chair, the other he was running upstairs to go to his room, ignoring his father’s calls of his name. he locked his bedroom’s door and went under his covers to cry.</p><p> </p><p>Later that night, he heard some knocks and a soft “Soobin?” coming from a voice that sounded like his sister. He ignored them.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t want to talk to anyone.</p><p>He didn’t want any comfort.</p><p>He didn’t deserve it, anyways.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>(I'm so going to hell for this, I know)</p><p>More Yeonbin in this! how we feeling? Happy? Sad? Sappy? Like you want to kill me?<br/>I understand.<br/>I'll post the rest tomorrow because mama is inspireeed</p><p>Please comment and vote! I love yall so much!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Missing you (My Heart Can’t Be Soothed)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>she's back as planned!!!<br/>And enjoy this because my updates may be slower from now on.<br/>i still planned to finish this fic by the end of the week so have no fears my lovelies<br/>also TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of suicide, self harm and eating disorder!<br/>stay safe please!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He hadn’t talked to Taehyun for five days now.</p><p>He had cried himself to sleep that night. He was inconsolable. Nothing made sense anymore.</p><p>The day after that awful night, he had just the time to text Taehyun to tell him about his mother’s decision before she barged into his room to ask for his phone. He would get it back when he went to school. When he was home, she would keep it.</p><p>Soobin hadn’t even reacted. He was numbed by everything.</p><p> </p><p>In theory, he knew that he could still see Taehyun at school. And he did the first day. On the Monday, he explained everything to his best friend who just looked at him with so much anger and sadness. Taehyun tried to rationalize things. They could hang out less, and Taehyun wouldn’t leave his scent on his stuff anymore. Soobin nodded like the fool he was.</p><p>He should’ve known that it wouldn’t be enough. That night, his mother had known that they had hung out. Apparently Gunhee had seen them hang out at lunch break and had informed his own mother who then told Yina. Soobin was so shocked by the extent to what his mother wanted to make him unhappy.</p><p>Later that night she came into his room and told him that if she learned that Soobin hung out with Taehyun again, she would out him to the whole community.</p><p>Soobin tried to deny that his best friend was gay again, but she didn’t believe him.</p><p>He didn’t want to risk anything for Taehyun. Since things were still quite shaky with his family.</p><p>So, by Tuesday morning, Soobin started to ignore Taehyun.</p><p>It was awful.</p><p>Just <em>awful</em>.</p><p>He also had to pay attention to his surroundings all the time, since he wasn’t sure if Gunhee was the only person who was basically his mother’s mole.</p><p>He couldn’t talk to Yeonjun and Beomgyu either.</p><p>He figured that Taehyun had told them about his mother’s decision because when they ran by each other in the hallway they would always throw him pitiful looks.</p><p>He wasn’t mad at them for it though.</p><p>He did look pitiful.</p><p>Being without Taehyun had always been one of his worse fears.</p><p>And now that it was real, he didn’t know what to do.</p><p>He studied a lot to compensate for the free time, that week. He sometimes saw Taehyun in the hallways, and when the younger would smile at him with the saddest eyes, Soobin would nod at him without actually looking at him.</p><p>He missed his best friend terribly.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Five days turned into two weeks. Two weeks turned into a month.</p><p>Soobin was like a zombie.</p><p>He barely slept; he barely ate.</p><p>His dad and siblings would send him worried looks but he would ignore them.</p><p>The bullying had gotten worse, too. Apparently, the fact that he looked so pitiful rubbed some people the wrong way and since he ignored any insult and taunt thrown his way, it would make him an even bigger target.  Now it was coming from wolves and few asshole humans, too. Yeonjun and Beomgyu tried to intervene the best that they could, but they couldn’t always protect him.</p><p>He would go home with bruises and injuries that he was too careless to take care of. His mother would do what she always did. Insult him even more and blame him.</p><p>He still wouldn’t budge nor complain.</p><p>He had lost his other half.</p><p>He had no reason to fight.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t like to be dramatic about those things. Self-harm, suicide and depression weren’t things to joke about. Especially in a country such as the one he lived in.</p><p>But the only reason why he didn’t end it all was Yeonjun.</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, his mother was perceptive about everything except his whereabouts each Saturday.</p><p>She didn’t care about him enough to focus on him. Especially when it was about church meetings.</p><p>So, Soobin kept on doing his weekly meetings with Yeonjun.</p><p>They had gotten closer, despite Soobin reluctance.</p><p>Losing Taehyun took a big toll on his mental health but Yeonjun made sure that he ate, always asked Kai to provide ointments for his bruises, and would talk to him about meaningless subjects just to make sure that Soobin had some kind of social contact, since he would spend his weeks studying, crying or sleeping. He tried to talk about Taehyun but Soobin refused to hear him. He didn’t want to have a meltdown over him when they were supposed to take care of him.</p><p>Soobin was also way more needy when Yeonjun was biting him. He would cling to Yeonjun like the other was his lifeline and not the other way around. The first Saturday after his mother’s decision, they had to stop short because Soobin was too dehydrated and was crying too hard while Yeonjun was drinking. He had ended up spending the rest of the time they had comforting Soobin, whispering sweet nothings to him.</p><p>Yeonjun was extremely worried for, Soobin could tell.</p><p>Soobin really appreciated all the gestures but he was numb.</p><p>Just… Numb.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Two months later, and Soobin still hadn’t said a word to Taehyun.</p><p>He was happy that Taehyun had gotten around and had gotten closer to Beomgyu. He even noticed that he wasn’t making efforts to leave a distance between them.</p><p>He was still cautious about being too close with the Kang siblings around other wolves. So when he got partnered up for a science lab with Chaeryeong it was just really stressful and relieving at the same time.</p><p>He had missed Chaeryeong.</p><p>“I missed you, too” She whispered lowly. Apparently Taehyun had briefly explained the situation and she had been very mad at first but then decided to be smart about it. She had distanced herself from Soobin.</p><p>But now they had been picked by their teacher and they couldn’t change it. So, he worked, and she talked. He had already seen this experiment in his science book the weeks before anyways.</p><p>“Taehyun misses you so much. He worries a lot about you.”</p><p>He didn’t answer anything and proceeded to take notes of the steps of the experiment he was going to do.</p><p>“You’ve lost weight, Soobin. Are you eating?” she asked, but in vain. He didn’t say anything and when she huffed. He looked at her briefly. She was pouting.</p><p>He wanted to smile but schooled his expression before it cracked.</p><p>He discreetly bumped her arm with his own and nodded slightly before proceeding to do the experiment. He was done writing the steps.</p><p>“You should eat more though. Did your mother stop giving you dinner?” she asked seriously.</p><p>He tried to answer her wordlessly by shaking his head,</p><p>“No, she doesn’t give you food or no she didn’t stop?”</p><p>He sighed. Then he had an idea.</p><p>He teared a sheet of his notebook and took his pen.</p><p>‘<strong>She didn’t stop. I just haven’t been hungry lately’, </strong>he wrote discreetly.</p><p>“You have to eat Soobin.” She said worriedly, “You’re not going to survive this year, otherwise.”</p><p>
  <strong>‘Honestly, I’m over life lately’</strong>
</p><p>“Don’t joke about that!” she gasped. He focused on the experiment. He didn’t want to tell her that he wasn’t completely joking.</p><p>
  <strong>‘Is Taehyun okay? How are things at home?’</strong>
</p><p>“He’s fine. Things went back to normal at home. He talked to our parents and us. He… He came out to us. Officially.” She hushed really lowly the last part. They were in class after all, “We’re really happy that he told us, and the girls and I are trying to be super supportive.”</p><p>Soobin couldn’t help but smile at that.</p><p>
  <strong>‘I’m so happy to hear that’</strong>
</p><p>“Yeah. He also told us about his vampire friends. My parents weren’t even mad about it. I mean their son is… you-know-what. Him having different species friends is the least of their worries. Not that they see it as a problem, of course.”</p><p>
  <strong>‘That’s great. I’m glad that he’s happy’</strong>
</p><p>He was really happy to see that things were going well for Taehyun. He could finally be happy and true to himself and his loved ones.</p><p><em>‘See? He didn’t need you’</em>. An ugly voice whispered in his head.</p><p>He tried to ignore it but it had become way more complicated lately.</p><p>“But he’s not completely happy… Soobin, believe it or not but he needs you as much as you need him.” Chaeryeong said with a sad smile.</p><p>Soobin press his lips in a thin line. He really didn’t want to cry in the middle of a science lab.</p><p>
  <strong>‘I miss him so much. I don’t want him to think that I don’t care about him’ </strong>
</p><p>“Oh, Soobinnie.” Chaeryeong said after she saw the first tear rolling on the omega’s cheek, “He knows how much you miss him. Trust me, he’s waiting for the day that the devil retires and that your mother takes his job instead, so that she can live you alone and torment other people.”</p><p>Soobin laughed at the joke despite himself. He quickly wiped the lone tear and breathed out.</p><p>
  <strong>‘I can’t wait to be over with this school year’</strong>
</p><p>“Ugh, me too. Any college away from this hell hole, God, please.” She pleaded dramatically to the ceiling and Soobin chuckled again.</p><p>He really had missed her. He had missed laughing.</p><p> </p><p>(He was exaggerating. Yeonjun made him laugh sometimes.)</p><p> </p><p>Once he was done with the experiment, he wrote the conclusion and then nodded to Chaeryeong towards the area.</p><p>“I’ll clean it up.” She said sheepishly. He nodded and smiled. He briefly looked around the classroom. Most of the students weren’t done with the experiment.</p><p>At some point his eyes locked with Yeonjun’s. the vampire was focused on his own experiment, but it was as if</p><p>Yeonjun who was at the back of the class. Yeonjun raised an eyebrow before smiling at him. Soobin’s lips twitched before bowing his head a little. He then turned around when he noticed Gunhee looking at him.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>He really hoped that he hadn’t noticed that small moment that he had shared with the vampire.</p><p>His mother hadn’t said anything about Chaeryeong so maybe he could get away with it, but he wasn’t so sure for a vampire.</p><p>He cleared his throat and once their teacher dismissed them, he gathered his stuff. He waited for Chae to finish cleaning things up before leaving the classroom.</p><p>When he did, he saw Taehyun walking out of his own class across the hallway, chatting with Beomgyu in what seemed to be a playful way. Maybe they had actually came to like each other after all.</p><p>Beomgyu noticed him and nudged Taehyun to make him look in his direction. When their eyes met Taehyun looked at him with the same expression he had for the last two months.</p><p>Soobin nodded and smiled a bit at him.</p><p>That was all he did before leaving to go to his next class.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin blinked and just like that it was already Christmas holidays.</p><p>It’s been three months since he last talked to Taehyun.</p><p>He still missed him <em>horribly</em>.</p><p>His mother still was unbreakable about the matter.</p><p>He had tried to negotiate with her after they had received his report card. He had A+ everywhere, even in math, the subject that he despised. He had been ranked amongst the top 3 in his whole grade, just like he had promised his father. His dad had smiled at him and patted his shoulder in an awkward but nice way. Soobin almost thought that he would say that he was proud of him but before he even could his mother scoffed and told him that he should’ve been first and that there nothing to be proud of. When he mentioned maybe reconsidering her punishment (He had phrased it as a ‘decision’ but let’s call it as it was) she had sighed and given some other stupid excuse of how he was way more focused without Taehyun and—</p><p>To be honest he hadn’t listened.</p><p>Soobin had just sighed and nodded.</p><p>He was still numb, too.</p><p> </p><p>He was currently in holidays. His father had allowed him to take a week off from his usual studying. His mother was opposed to that at first but for once his dad had put his foot down on the matter. She had reluctantly agreed.</p><p>Soobin had been grateful of his father’s support but he soon found himself not knowing what to do on that week of resting. He didn’t have Taehyun to hang out with and any frequentation would come off as suspicious to his mother and probably make things worse for him.</p><p>So, he decided to participate to his church group holidays activities.</p><p>They basically consisted of helping the less fortunate and Soobin loved to see people who seemed so desperate like that smile; it always made him realized that his life wasn’t all that bad. Sure, he had a difficult mother, but at least he wasn’t homeless or in financial difficulties.</p><p>(“<em>Bullshit</em>”, Taehyun would usually tell him when he had this reasoning. “<em>I’m sure that people would rather be in financial difficulties and have a normal family than having your mother”</em>. Soobin would always roll his eyes and end up nodding because he was probably right.)</p><p> </p><p>That day, he was going to go in a soup kitchen to go distribute and serve food. He had left his house pretty early, only his father was up. Before leaving he had smiled to Soobin and slipped him 50,000 wons in his hand. Soobin had gaped at him. <em>‘A little congratulation for working so hard,’</em> his father had said. Soobin bowed at him with a grateful smile and left with his heart a little lighter.</p><p>He reached the homeless shelter around 9AM. They were supposed to meet at 9:30AM but there was already a big part of his church group present. He usually went to found Taehyun but apparently Taehyun had decided not to participate to the holiday church activities this year. He could see that Taehyun was withdrawing from church in general. After the Two months marks, Soobin didn’t see him at the Sunday mass, anymore. His parents were still there, though. He was glad that they respected his best friend’s choice to step away from faith a little.</p><p>(His mother would never.)</p><p>Anyways, he had been alone since he started to participate to the holiday activities. He barely interacted with the other young people in it. They were almost all in his school and just like in school they ignored him or talked behind his back.</p><p>Gunhee was part of it, too. Soobin hated that.</p><p>Ever since that day on the football field he had been tormenting him in small but irritating ways. It had started with jabs about being a bitch, use of colorful slurs</p><p>(Making Soobin wonder how such a rude person could be considered a good Christian. Then he thought of his mother and rolled his eyes internally)</p><p>Then when his mother had made him stop hanging out with Taehyun, Gunhee started to get physical. Spit balls here, a push against the lockers there. Then, he took jabs on his insecurities. How Soobin would never find anyone that would love him. That he would spend his heats alone forever. That he was so skinny and lanky that even if someone took care of his heats, he would probably break in two.</p><p>Soobin was over it.</p><p>Fortunately, Gunhee wasn’t there that day. He had overheard some alphas talking about a doctor appointment that he had. Soobin didn’t care, he was just happy to have a day in peace, where he could help people without worrying about what he did or said.</p><p>At 9PM, their supervisor, Seokjin, gathered them, “So, guys, today we’ll have to be careful with the people we help. They’ve been through difficult times and we have to make sure that they don’t feel judge. They have to feel the warmness that God placed in each and every one of you. That means always serve with a smile.” The beta mimicked a smile to prove it.</p><p>“Let’s go, now. They’re waiting.” He said enthusiastically.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Soobin had been on duty to unload the food from the truck to put in on the kitchen. He liked the fact that they didn’t put him with the other omega girls who had jobs in the kitchen (How surprising). Seokjin knew him well and Soobin had always preferred to do this because sitting all day wasn’t his cup of tea. He liked to move around and be useful like this.</p><p>Maybe it wasn’t the best because the weather was near to freezing outside. It had snowed the night before, so it was a little slippery too. Still Soobin preferred that to stay in the kitchen and be looked down on by alphas that would joke about how ‘Omegas were meant to be in the kitchen’. He despised those.</p><p>He unloaded the boxes for three hours. They had several trucks lined up for the event. Especially because it was the biggest soup kitchen in their town and that this food would be used for the next days too.</p><p>Around 12:30 he was done. He walked to Seokjin to inform him and get a new task.</p><p>“You know what, I don’t have anything else to ask from you. You can go home, Soobin.” Seokjin smiled. Soobin protested immediately. He really didn’t want to go home. His mother was on holidays too.</p><p>“Are you sure, hyung? There must be some spots to serve people somewhere.”</p><p>“It’s three days before Christmas, Soobin. People are running to soup kitchens to help the unfortunates. You can take a day off. Your mother told us that you ranked third in your grade. You worked hard; you deserve a rest, don’t you think?” Seokjin was speaking to him so warmly, but Soobin was fuming internally. She was bragging about his achievement at her meetings but wasn’t even able to congratulate him at home. It made <em>no</em> sense.</p><p>Soobin nodded despite himself. He actually was tired. He wasn’t eating all that much lately. He ate a lot on Fridays to make sure to be strong enough for Yeonjun Saturdays, but he had stopped eating more than necessary. That made him weaker and tired more easily.</p><p>“Good, have fun,” he patted Soobin’s back, “I won’t say anything to your mother, so go wild for the afternoon.” He winked at Soobin before looking behind the omega and smile. He then went back to the kitchen. Soobin blinked at him and shrugged.</p><p>When he turned around, he found Yeonjun looking at him with a big smile.</p><p>Soobin startled so bad that he slipped and fell.</p><p>Yeonjun gasped, “Are you okay?” the vampire approached him quickly and took him by the arm to make him stand up carefully. Soobin nodded and winced at the sting on his lower back. That would leave another bruise, he thought.</p><p>“I’m fine,” he said as he recovered, “What are you doing here, Yeonjun?” he asked him in stupor.</p><p>“My family actually donates some food and clothes each year, and my mom asked me to bring it.” The vampire smiled at him. Soobin smiled back.</p><p>“You had mentioned that you donate at the soup kitchen in the neighbor town, though”</p><p>“Ah, yes. Last Saturday when you talked about your church group thing, I figured that it would be here, so I convinced my mom to donate the food and clothes here instead.” Yeonjun explained with a knowing smile, hand still holding Soobin’s wrist. “I wanted to see you.”</p><p>“You did?” Soobin blinked again at him, Yeonjun’s cheeks were started to have their signature orange tint. Soobin probably had a matching red on his own cheeks.</p><p>“Yeah. I figured that you would spend your holidays alone and even though we do see each other on Saturdays, I wanted to see you out of this <em>life or death</em> context.” He joked. Soobin smiled back shyly. He looked at the hand on his wrist.</p><p>“And don’t worry, I brought all the scent blockers, so we can hang with each other normally without a worry.”</p><p>“You really planned this ahead, huh?”</p><p>“Figured that I owed you a proper date.” Yeonjun said sheepishly.</p><p>Soobin froze.</p><p>“Friendly date! Of course,” Yeonjun cleared his throat awkwardly. Soobin looked at him for few seconds, before accepting.</p><p>“Let’s go, then.” Yeonjun said.</p><p>Soobin smiled softly at the vampire. Yeonjun let go of his wrist and tightened his grasp on his backpack.</p><p>Soobin did the same before following Yeonjun out of the back of the soup kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>They were careful to not stay too close to each other until they left the town. Yeonjun had the whole thing planned apparently.</p><p>(How he had figured that Soobin would be free this after, he didn’t know.)</p><p>They were now walking side by side in the streets if the neighbor town. They were chatting casually about Yeonjun’s home situation. Things were less tense, since Yeonjun had been coughing less. His father still forced him to drink normal blood, but it hurt way less thanks to Soobin’s blood. Soobin was happy to hear that.</p><p>“So, where are we going?” Soobin asked after they crossed a bridge in the park that they were in. the landscape was white because of the snow; it was really pretty. The had crossed few children that were playing a snowball fight, and Soobin found himself envying them. He had never done this kind of things when he was younger. The only time that Taehyun and him had attempted to do was completely shutdown by Soobin’s mother. They had been disappointed, but they still had much fun before getting caught.</p><p>(Ah, he missed him.)</p><p>“I figured that you never had normal Christmas during your childhood. I mean you only mentioned that you never went sledding, but I feel like you never got to do a whole lot of winter activities that didn’t have your church group behind it.” Yeonjun explained.</p><p>Excitement ran through Soobin in shivers, it was like Yeonjun read his mind sometimes, “So? Where are we going?”</p><p>“We’re going… Drum rolls, please…” the vampire asked excitedly but when Soobin blinked at him, so excited that he forgot to actually drum rolls, he rolled his eyes fondly and chuckled.</p><p>“… Ice-skating!” Yeonjun finished.</p><p>Soobin gasped in wonder. He definitely never had ice-skated before. He was supposed to when he was 16 but he presented right before Taehyun and he were to go.</p><p>“I’m glad that you’re excited about it,” Yeonjun chuckled fondly, walking in the snow until they reached a different side of the park that had a small shed. Soobin could see the ice-skating rank from there, with few people gliding on the ice. There were fairy lights hung on each side of the rank and more hung on the poles that were supposed to be lights when the sun went down. It was beautiful.</p><p>“I don’t even know how to ice-skate though.” Soobin pouted. He didn’t even understand this change of demeanor that he had. He hated pouting, but here he was, lips jutting out because he was childishly upset about his lack of skills; and that he knew that Yeonjun would do something about it.</p><p>“Well good for you, because I am a master at it. I’ll teach you.” He announced, chest puffed in self-pride. Soobin rolled his eyes playfully.</p><p>“I’m the clumsiest, though.” Soobin muttered. But, Yeonjun was already walking ahead of him with determination. Soobin sighed.</p><p>Yeonjun would realize it soon enough, anyways.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Clumsy was not enough to describe Soobin’s ice-skating skills.</p><p>He was a pure and simple train wreck.</p><p>“I didn’t think things through by bringing you here,” Yeonjun commented in mirth. Soobin was hanging by the rail of the rank for his dear life, completely exhausted.</p><p>“You think?” He spat at the vampire. Yeonjun burst out in laughter for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.</p><p>Soobin was bad. Like <em>bad</em> bad at ice-skating.</p><p>“I thought that since you were amazing at PE, you would catch things up easily enough.” Yeonjun wheezed out. Soobin was breathless at this point.</p><p>“Well, you thought wrong, Choi Yeonjun!” Soobin let out before slipping under his grasp, arms flailing to get a good grip of his solid lifeline, but the legs wouldn’t cooperate, and the ice was doing its slippery job to the perfection.</p><p>He ended up falling on his butt. Again.</p><p>Yeonjun didn’t even gasp this time. Even <em>he</em> was used to it by now.</p><p>“Help me instead of laughing, damn it!” Soobin pouted. He really sucked at this and he was embarrassed. He stretched his mittened hands towards the vampire’s gloveless one. Once Yeonjun caught his breath he slid to him and took the gloved hands in his and pulled him carefully.</p><p>Maybe it was Soobin’s weight, or the fact that Yeonjun wasn’t completely steady himself because he was still laughing. But they ended up both on their asses in two seconds.</p><p>“Ow”, Yeonjun groaned and Soobin couldn’t help it. He laughed.</p><p> </p><p>He laughed loudly. This squeaky scattered laugh that he was so embarrassed of.</p><p>And once it was out, it couldn’t be stopped.</p><p>“What the--“, Yeonjun said but Soobin couldn’t hear him, his mind kept replaying the scene of Yeonjun falling to his death on the ice. It was just hilarious.</p><p>Two <em>long</em> minutes later, he gathered his breath.</p><p>He turned to Yeonjun who was looking at him with sparkling eyes.</p><p>“What?” Soobin wheezed out. He wiped the stray tears on his eyes while he looked at the vampire looking at him like he was some kind of wonder.</p><p>“Nothing.” Yeonjun squeaked. The vampire cleared his throat and put himself on all fours to get on his feet easily. Once he was steady, he held on the rails and looked at Soobin. Two sun bloomed on his cheeks.</p><p>“It’s just that I don’t think that I have ever seen you laugh like that. So freely.” Yeonjun told him with a fond shy laugh. Soobin looked at him; and he was right. He rarely laughed like that with anyone. Only with people he was really comfortable with (Read: Taehyun) and even then, he refrained a lot.</p><p>“I know. It’s pretty embarrassing too.” Soobin said sheepishly.</p><p>Yeonjun gave him his hand and this time actually helped his get on his feet, “It’s beautiful, Soobin. I wish I could see you like that all the time.”</p><p>Soobin blinked at him.</p><p><em>He thinks that I’m beautiful</em>, He thought despite himself.</p><p>A warm and foreign feeling invaded his chest. A feeling he only carried each Saturday after Yeonjun had drunk his blood and held him so gently while doing so. A feeling that made him blush uncountably without him actually minding. A feeling that seemed to be amplified by his wolf conscience who was feeding from it.</p><p>He ignored it.</p><p>“Well, enjoy it now. Because I won’t laugh this abomination of a laughter ever again,” He joked to change the trajectory of his train of thoughts. Yeonjun gasped and pouted.</p><p> “Don’t say that! Plus, I’m so funny, don’t doubt my clown skills, please.”</p><p>“I would never” Soobin answered playfully.</p><p>“Whatever. Now, Bambi, let’s get you to actually stay for more than ten seconds on your skates without falling to your death.” Yeonjun pulled his tong at the omega who imitated him childishly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t do this.” Soobin yelped.</p><p>“Yes, you can. You’re a strong, independent omega who don’t need nobody but himself.” Yeonjun joked with great conviction.</p><p>“What are you even—Stop clowning around! I’m going to fall!” Soobin almost slipped. Yeonjun was holding his hands firmly while he was struggling to steady his stance. They were in the middle of the rank, people were circling around them and Soobin was embarrassed at first but after the third fall, he was pretty much numbed.</p><p>“No, you’re not. I’ve got you. Do what I told you. Knees bent a little, back straight and feet steady.” Yeonjun instructed softly. Soobin breathed in and out before trying to apply himself to the instructions. After some struggle, he successfully steadied his feet.</p><p>“Okay now move a foot after another. Slowly” Yeonjun said. Like a toddler learning how to walk, Soobin wobbled on his feet until he got the hang of it. A minute later he was actually doing it.</p><p>He laughed excitedly, “I’m doing it! I’m skating! Are you seeing this?”</p><p>“You are! You’re doing amazing!” Yeonjun said cheerfully. Soobin’s look was switched between his feet and Yeonjun. He knew he had the goofiest look on, eyes crinkled and all.</p><p>“Are you ready for me to let go?”</p><p>“Hey! You said that you weren’t going to!”</p><p>“I have to if you want to actually learn.”</p><p>“This is like Top Ten anime betrayal.” Soobin said in dejection.</p><p>“Stop being dramatic please” Yeonjun chastised him playfully , “Okay, I’m letting you go now,” Yeonjun warned him before unclutching one hand and sliding away from Soobin slowly. Once he assured that Soobin was still steady he let go completely of him.</p><p>“Yeonjun!”</p><p>“Just do what I told you. Knees bent and slide slowly. Come on, you can do it!”</p><p>Soobin wobbled on his feet, hands stretch to find some kind of balance since Yeonjun wasn’t there to help him anymore.</p><p>After few minutes of near-death experience, he tried to move and somehow, he did it.</p><p>“Okay, I’m like a pro, now,” he said jokingly. He was sliding on the ice slowly and he probably looked ridiculous, but he was doing it, damn it!</p><p>“You really are a pro,” Yeonjun teased him, “Ready to circle around with the people?”</p><p>“God, not at <em>all</em>. I think this is enough progress for the day.” He tried to save himself. But Yeonjun wasn’t having any of it.</p><p>“We didn’t do all of this for you to chicken out last minute. Let’s go!” he took Soobin’s hand, who held on tight instinctively, and pulled him until they joined the few people circling the rank.</p><p>They did few circles holding hands, not caring about the looks that people were giving them. A wheezing wobbling male omega trying not to fall but semi-failing and a laughing vampire trying to catch his breath must have been a strange sight.</p><p>That, Soobin could admit.</p><p>Still they couldn’t care less at this moment. They were just having fun and for once, Soobin didn’t have anything else but happy thoughts running through his mind.</p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p>By 6PM, they had given back the ice skates an were walking back to the bridge to grab a small bite before going home. Yeonjun had heard of a nice café that served amazing bread. Soobin was sold as soon as he heard the word bread.</p><p>“That was so much fun.” Yeonjun exhaled happily.</p><p>“I probably have, like, five bruises on my back alone,” Soobin whined childishly. They were still holding hands. It felt good. It felt right.</p><p>The vampire squeezed his hand in compassion, “In this moment wolves probably wished that they had our regeneration and healing faculties, huh.”</p><p>Soobin sighed, “I really do, sometimes. Like there’s some injuries that just heal so slowly, and then I imagine you guys. It disappears in a blink of an eye, according to our biology class.” Yeonjun looked at the sky in a thinking face.</p><p>“I mean, yeah it does fade really quickly. But the pain stays despite that.”</p><p>“But it also goes away quicker, right?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Yeonjun admit sheepishly, “We do have it better than you guys.”</p><p>Yeonjun’s smile did fade a little when he said, “I mean other vampires have it good, I was less lucky…”</p><p>Soobin bit his lower lip to find something to say to that. He sucked at comforting after all.</p><p>He squeezed the vampire’s hand and pulled it to his front to take it with both of own.</p><p>“You have me now, anyways. In less than a year you’ll be back to normal and all invincible, just like you were meant to be.” He said as he looked at his mittened hands engulfing the vampire’s pale hand. Soobin know that it was cold even through the thick material, so he blew on them to warm them up, “You’re going to outlive all of us, you just wait.”</p><p>He could feel Yeonjun’s gaze on his blush, but he kept on looking at their hands.</p><p>“It’s really all thanks to you, Soobin. I don’t think you understand how grateful I am to have met you.” Yeonjun said softly.</p><p>Soobin stopped blowing on their hands to say, “I’m like your savior or something.”</p><p>“You really are,” Soobin chuckled at the confirmation but Yeonjun proceeded, “I’m not joking. I feel like us meeting each other like that wasn’t a coincidence.”</p><p>Soobin stopped looking at the hands to look at Yeonjun and he had a semi-serious expression on, “What do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun didn’t answer right away. Like he was second guessing his next words that were going to take a shift their relationship, or something.</p><p> </p><p>“… I meant that you’re a part of the 1% of this country. And I’m part of the 0.000003% out of the entire vampire population. It feels a little like faith to me.” Yeonjun said with an awkward laugh.</p><p>Soobin blinked at him. Something felt wrong. Like Yeonjun had something else that he wanted to say.</p><p>“… Right.” He simply said.</p><p>They exited the park and walked in the empty streets to go to the café. Their hands were still intertwined.</p><p>“So, tell me. What’s so different about being a male omega? I always wondered but didn’t want to be rude about it.” Yeonjun asked after swallowing a bite of his cheesecake. Soobin was munching on his second croissant.</p><p>“No, it’s okay… I don’t mind you asking about it” the omega answered. Yeonjun nodded with a relieved smile.</p><p>He cleared his throat, “To be fair, there’s nothing so drastically different from a normal omega girl. I just presented really late compared to other boys. Generally boys present earlier, around 13 or 14 and girls present at 15 or 16. I presented last year, so I already knew that something was wrong. I had to take an appointment to the doctor, and he wasn’t able to tell me anything. I mean, the omega part wasn’t even mentioned since it’s <em>so</em> rare.”</p><p>“My mother was really difficult about it. She blamed me for it when really it was just my body. I had no control over it, and I guess that she was mad about the fact that she didn’t have control over it either. She despises that.” Soobin said between bites. Yeonjun looked at him with a big frown on and nodded.</p><p>“How is your mother even real?” The vampire scoffed.</p><p>Soobin sighed and shook his head, “I don’t know. I just don’t like to think about it.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right. Keep going,” Yeonjun said as he handed a spoon full of cheesecake to let Soobin have a taste. The omega got closer to taste it, not even thinking of the fact that they were sharing a spoon.</p><p>The cheesecake was good, he hummed in delight.</p><p>“So, yeah, I presented eventually, and it was just so weird. It was around winter too, so when I started to feel hot all the sudden like I was having a fever; it was unusual. I was at home in my bathroom when the first hot flush went through me. I remember running my body through the shower <em>so</em>, so cold, to lower my body temperature. It did the opposite actually. It was like my body was trying to balance the coldness by producing more heat inside. It was awful.”</p><p>“Then I dried myself, tried to call my sister. But apparently only my brother Hyunbin was there. He was 13, back then. When he heard me and entered the bathroom, he had this horrified face on, I remember it so well. It was after seeing his face that I realized that something was seriously wrong with me. Turns out I was going through my first heat.” Soobin winced at the memory.</p><p>“How bad was it?” Yeonjun asked, his cheesecake completely abandoned to focus on the story.</p><p>“It was <em>painful</em> and very confusing. It just caught me off guard, you know. I’ll spare you the nasty details but I was basically a sex driven mess, and for a religious person like me - who had never even seen a penis or a vagina except in his lame sex ed class -- it was just so… disconcerting.”</p><p>Yeonjun winced at the idea and Soobin sighed, “My family was basically useless too. My dad and brother couldn’t do anything. My sister was away from the next days because she was participating to this church retreat thing and my mother… Mother was not happy.”</p><p>“See, she always had wanted this perfect family with normally gendered straight kids that she could brag about to her church and friends. I was a big setback in her plan and as soon as she understood that, things were even more awful for me. I went through my first heat all alone, my mother refused to help me in any way. My brother had to cook food for me because my mother ‘didn’t want to cook for a disappointment’. I had to drag myself to my bathroom to take cold baths and such as. She refused to have Taehyun help me too, because she was scared that people would think that he had helped me by having sex with me, “ he scoffed in defeat, “It was just… a pretty traumatic moment.”</p><p>“How can a person be so <em>selfish</em>… It’s crazy. I’m so sorry you had to go through this on your own.”</p><p>“Yeah… but I like to think that I wasn’t completely alone. My wolf conscience was there to keep me sane.”</p><p>“Your wolf conscience? What’s that?”</p><p>“It’s this mind voice that is basically the manifestation of my inner wolf. It’s there to guide us wolves in extreme situation. To help us find our mate, too, but that’s whole other story.”</p><p>Yeonjun awed at him, “That’s pretty cool…” Then said hesitantly, “We don’t have any voice to guide us to our Destined. We just have this feeling when we found them, and it’s kind of confirmed when we connect physically for the first time.” Yeonjun muttered the last part, orange creeping on his cheeks. It was as pretty as usual.</p><p>Soobin nodded, trying not to think of how Yeonjun would eventually find someone that he was meant to be with, “I mean, we’re kind of the same. About the physical connection thing to confirm the bond. My inner wolf voice barely speaks to me, too. I think I heard it four times tops ever since I presented.” He was hesitating to tell him that one of the times was about him.</p><p>That had too much of a deeper meaning that he wasn’t ready to own up to.</p><p>“Anyways my heats are always kind of like that, but I have them thrice a year so it’s fair enough.” Yeonjun nodded and kept on eating his cheesecake.</p><p>“Other than that, being a male omega isn’t all that weird. It’s more the fact that we live in a conservative town and that anything that is out of norm is shunned and judged.” Soobin said bitterly.</p><p>“Yeah, people, especially other wolves can be real assholes to you. I never understood why.”</p><p>“Well, for one, I represent everything they hate in our community. Being out of the mold but still getting by well. My parents push me to have good grades and I’m great at sports. The teachers like me. They see this wolf, that should be doing bad, answering to our community’s expectations and it irritates them to no end.” He explained.</p><p>“The other thing is that I am a boy and I should be a certain way. I should be manly, do sport, be stubborn and sure of myself. I should exude confidence and testosterone, but I exude the opposite. I smell like the most delicate flower and I act like anyone would when they have such parents. They hate that I am ‘sissy’ in the shape of a Great Dane – Taehyun’s words, not mine,” Yeonjun smiled at the analogy and Soobin laughed awkwardly.</p><p>“They hate to see someone, who should naturally bow down to them because of their biology, resist to them. I represent everything that they should suppress too, the delicate and sensitive side of a man. I embody that, to them. So, the same way that they would kick all those unnatural and unmanly feelings out, they kick me. Taunt me. Make fun of me.” He finished.</p><p>Yeonjun looked at him with a mix of understanding, anger and maybe… pity? It was hard to tell since he had his hand on his thigh.</p><p>“I want to kick them so bad.” He blurted out, and Soobin couldn’t help but snort at that, “I want to hurt them the same way that they hurt you.”</p><p>Soobin sighed, “But you can’t, because just like me, you vampires are minorities in our school.”</p><p>“Don’t even compare any vampire to what you go through,” Yeonjun gasped, “We have it great, we don’t even interact with most of you all because we know that we’ll outlive all of you anyways. We don’t waste time with people in school because it’s useless.” Yeonjun scoffed.</p><p>“If someone did half of what those bullies did to you to any of us, we could fight back, and trust me, we would. But you? Well… as sad as it is… You’re alone, Soobin. There’s only one of you, here.”</p><p>Soobin tsked because he knew that it was true. He was alone.</p><p> </p><p>“And the worst part is that your own family made you feel like it was not worth fighting back. Not even for yourself… It’s bullshit.” Yeonjun spat. His eyes were getting more and more golden. He was getting mad.</p><p>Soobin took his hand to calm him down and squeezed it before rubbing his thumb against the vampire’s knuckles.</p><p>“You get used to it…” he tried to lighten the mood, but it didn’t work.</p><p>Yeonjun interlaced their finger before locking their gazes together, “It shouldn’t be like that. You’re so worth fighting for, Soobin.”</p><p>Soobin blinked at him, trying to avoid the vampire’s intense golden eyes, “I’m not.”</p><p>The whole universe told him, so.</p><p>Then Yeonjun took his face in his other hand to make him look at him. he grazed Soobin’s face slowly and gently. Soobin gulped at the tenderness of the simple action</p><p>“Soobin… You’re worth <em>everything</em>. I know that everyone in your life except Taehyun made sure to make you feel like you weren’t but as soon as I met you, I knew that they were wrong. You’re so <em>nice</em>. I mean you agreed to give your blood to a complete stranger. You trusted me, just like that. You’re nice and <em>so</em>, so caring. You love people with all that you have and do so much just to make people happy. Even when you know that they won’t give anything back. You’re unapologetically beautiful inside and out, Choi Soobin. If anyone is worth anything in this hell hole of a town, it’s you.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Him.</em>
</p><p>His wolf conscience spoke again.</p><p>But Soobin ignored it.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin was having a hard time to formulate an answer because of the overwhelming way that Yeonjun’s eyes were staring at him. Yeonjun’s hands were shaking against his cheeks but they were still holding his face in the gentlest way and it sent shivers in Soobin’s spine.</p><p>He closed his eyes as he muttered, “You’re just saying this.” He tried to convince himself.</p><p>“Trust me… Trust me like you trusted me with your blood. <em>Trust me</em> when I tell you that I never meant more something in my entire life.”</p><p>He exhaled and he felt a stray tear rolling on his cheek. Yeonjun caught it before it reached his lips.</p><p>“Trust me when I tell you that as long as I live, I’ll never mean more something in my life.”</p><p> </p><p>Soobin couldn’t help but nod with a grateful smile.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>That night he went back home with an extra dose of scent blockers and butterfly in his stomach.</p><p>When his mother asked him why he looked so happy with a suspicious look, he simply said that he was happy to have helped so many people in need. She couldn’t say anything back to that.</p><p>In a way, he really was happy that he had contributed a little to help them earlier in the morning.</p><p>Still, when it was time to go to bed, he thanked God for the help that he had brought in his life in the shape of sun-like blushes and blind trust.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p>The rest of the week went by like a blur.</p><p>He volunteered for the rest of the week with no problem. This little date with Yeonjun had been like a breath of fresh air. He had less trouble eating and had way fewer depressing thoughts. He wouldn’t say that Yeonjun’s words had a miraculous effect on his mental health, but he did find himself believing them a little more. Taehyun would probably roll his eyes at that idea, since he had been repeating it for years now.</p><p>Speaking of Taehyun, thanks to Yeonjun, Soobin had gotten to talk to him a little. That night before parting ways, Yeonjun had the idea to call Taehyun on the phone. Soobin had refused to take the phone at first, too sacred to, but once Yeonjun convinced him that they were completely alone in the street by using his great sense of hearing, Soobin agreed.</p><p>It was a lot of ‘hi’, of ‘I miss you so much’ and of ‘Your mother is the worst’s. It was great. Soobin told him everything. About his mother’s threats and how he really was sorry. Taehyun had figured that it was something like that and had told him that it was okay. That he should just take care of himself more for now and eat regularly. That she would never be able to get rid of him forever.</p><p>Taehyun had told him to hold on, that they would find each other when they move out of school. Soobin had found himself agreeing.</p><p>When they hung up, Soobin took Yeonjun in the tightest hug ever. Yeonjun was glad to hug him back.</p><p> </p><p>He had spent Christmas eve at church, and it wasn’t the worst of times because he could see Taehyun from his seat.</p><p>He felt way less alone. And it was all thanks to Yeonjun.</p><p>He would never be able to thank the vampire more. He really had ended up being one of the few people in his life that made things less unbearable.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t see each other after the impromptu afternoon that they had spent together. Soobin had been worried about it. Christmas had been on the Saturday of the first week of holidays so they couldn’t see each other to feed him. Yeonjun had reassured him by telling him that he would be able to survive a week without his blood. Still, Soobin a little worried.</p><p>Now it was the Saturday before back to school. Soobin had a cello lesson, so that meant that he could see Yeonjun again. He was excited about it.</p><p>His cello lesson was only an hour long this time because his teacher had to see a family member, so it was even better. He had three hours with Yeonjun before going home.</p><p>He had told his father that he would go to the town’s library to study after it. He had bought the lie.</p><p>Things were going well.</p><p>Once he finished his cello lesson, he almost ran to get the bus that took him to the hotel. As usual he walked directly to the guest house, the hotel guard in tow. When he was about to open the door, Yeonjun suddenly opened it with a big smile, startling him.</p><p>“Merry Christmas!” he said cheerfully while pulling the omega inside and closing the door behind them. He reached Soobin’s hand who interlaced their fingers in habit.</p><p>He took off his winter coat and ran his hand through his new baby pink fuzzy sweater. It was a gift from his siblings.</p><p> </p><p>(It was late night on December 25<sup>th</sup>, they had had the Christmas dinner and Soobin was about to go to bed.</p><p>His parents had given him a notebook and a day planner that he could use when he’ll be in college. His father looked so proud of him even if hadn’t said it explicitly. Soobin had just smiled and said thank you. He wasn’t surprised by the impersonal gift from his parents, so hadn’t even been disappointed.</p><p>He was about to go in his bed when he heard a knock. After few seconds, no one barged inside so he knew it wasn’t his mother. he sniffed and smelled faint smell of lemon and charcoal.</p><p>“Come in?” he said hesitantly. The door opened and two heads popped out. It was his siblings. They both looked nervous as they came inside his room. He stayed seated on his bed as he looked at them fidget. Hyunbin had a present in his hands.</p><p>After seconds of awkward silence, he cleared his throat, “Did you want something?”</p><p>Jina nudged her brother on the arm, then Hyunbin sighed.</p><p>“We wanted to wish you a merry Christmas, hyung. And—and give you a gift. For being a nice brother to us.”</p><p>“We see how Mother treats you compared to us and she really went out of line with Taehyun oppa. We think it’s unfair but we’re too scared to say anything.” Jina said, squirming at Soobin’s warm gaze on her</p><p>“But we appreciate that you sometimes put the attention on you when she gets mad at us,” Hyunbin then said.</p><p>“Or that you take care of us when we’re sick.”</p><p>“And that you do all of this even if we don’t do anything for you in return.” Hyunbin said in dejection.</p><p>Soobin blinked at his siblings.</p><p>He had expected everything but that.</p><p>They barely interacted, really. His mother had made sure to put an invinsible distance between them by treating them differently. She was still harsh to them but in different ways.</p><p>That made Soobin want to take care of them. So, he did all those things that they had mentioned, ever since they were born. He would take care of them when they were sick (even if that happened rarely). Would help them the best he could when they went through heats and ruts. He would also take the fall when they did something wrong because he knew how it felt when their mother would scream at them for no reason. Since she’d always chew him out for any reasons, he would lie about things to protect his siblings sometimes.</p><p>He’d do it because he didn’t want them to be messed up like he was.</p><p>“We’re sorry that we can’t protect you more, hyung.” Hyunbin concluded.</p><p>Soobin nodded, a warm feeling invading his chest. “It’s okay. I’m happy to do that for you, guys. We’re siblings. We have to stick up for each other.” He said softly. He didn’t want their mother to hear them.</p><p>“But we don’t do that for you, oppa.”</p><p>“And I don’t expect you to. Mother is way too unpredictable to pull a stunt on her like that. Your job is to stick up to each other discreetly. Hopefully, I’ll leave for college and move out, but you guys will still be there, and you need to be there for each other, okay?” he said. The two younger siblings nodded awkwardly. They looked so young then. Like they weren’t 15 and 14 but 4 and 5 again.</p><p>“Thank you so much for this. You coming here is the greatest Christmas gift you could give me.” He said warmly. The siblings fidgeted awkwardly because they just didn’t know how to act affectionately with each other. Nobody had taught them how.</p><p>Hyunbin approached him and handed him the gift, “Still. Take it, please, hyung.”</p><p>He accepted the gift gratefully and immediately tore down the wrapping paper. He opened the box to find a soft baby pink fuzzy sweater. He blinked at it. He hadn’t expected that.</p><p>“Do you like it? I chose it. I know that you like pink but just don’t wear it because you’re scared of what people and mom would say.” Jina explained nervously.</p><p>Soobin was still smiling at the sweater, “I love it. I really do.”</p><p>He looked at them and they both had small smile on, “Seriously. Thank you so much.” He said earnestly.</p><p>They both nodded and when they heard a noise at the other end of the house, they waved at him quickly before scrambling back to their respective rooms.)</p><p> </p><p>He loved the sweater and had waited to be outside and to be sure that his parents wouldn’t see it before wearing it. Yeonjun noticed it and shook his head appreciatively.</p><p>“Why do you look so happy?” Soobin asked as he put his cello down and let go the vampire’s hand after a last squeeze.</p><p>“I’m just happy to see you.” The vampire said with a happy lilt in his voice. Soobin smiled back, “How was your Christmas?”</p><p>“It was as usual. The food was great. The mother was annoying. My parents gave me the most basic and impersonal gifts ever. But on the bright side, my siblings gave me this.” He pointed to the sweater.</p><p>Yeonjun ‘Ah’d at the sweater, “Yeah, I knew that I hadn’t seen that sweater before. It’s really nice.” Yeonjun smiled, “Fits you well.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Soobin blushed lightly, “How was yours?”</p><p>“We don’t really celebrate Christmas. My dad usually buys that special blood that is imported and supposed to taste different. I look forward to it each year but. Well. You already know.” Yeonjun explained with an eye roll. Soobin nodded.</p><p>“So, this year we just stayed at home for Christmas eve, and as for the 25<sup>th</sup>, we had ‘dinner’ and Beomgyu was there. That was nice.”</p><p>“His family wasn’t there?” Soobin asked as they walked to the bed to sit on it and get comfortable. They immediately sat close next to each other.</p><p>“No… Actually, it’s only his dad. His mother passed away when he was younger. And since this dad is that rich big shot who has meetings all over the world, he couldn’t attend our dinner. I didn’t want him to be alone, so we invited him.” Yeonjun explained sadly.</p><p>“Ah, that’s too bad... It’s great that he has you though.” Soobin said as he took off his sweater not to stain it. He had a wide collared t-shirt underneath it. Yeonjun already had his eyes on his neck.</p><p>“Yeah. I’m glad that he wasn’t alone this year. He can be pretty lonely during the holidays like that.” Yeonjun muttered, although his eyes were fixed on Soobin’s neck, “Hey, I was thinking.”</p><p>“About what?” Soobin asked, although he had an idea.</p><p>“Could I bite you on the neck instead of the shoulder this time?” Yeonjun asked, eyes shifting from their usual dark brown to their orange with golden hues. Soobin could also see his fangs peeking from his lips as he talked. He was already in the mood.</p><p>Soobin thought about it for a millisecond, “Yeah, why not?” he shrugged.</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes detached from the neck to look at Soobin, his cheeks were getting more and more orange, “Are you sure?”</p><p>Soobin nodded fondly. He was cute, “Yeah. Oh also, since we’re here earlier, we could go hang out a little after all this?” he suggested. He knew that he was taking a lot of risks, but damn it. He missed his best friend and he really liked spending time with Yeonjun.</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes shifted from fully brown to orange for a second as he answered, “Yeah, totally.”</p><p>Soobin chuckled and looked at the vampire gulping when his eyes fell on his neck again, “Okay. You can drink, now. You look thirsty.”</p><p>Yeonjun didn’t wait. He took Soobin’s hand in his and settled against the omega until they were flushed against each other. He took Soobin’s nape in his other hand and leaned his face against the exposed neck.</p><p>He leaned until his lips were inches away from the bare skin. When Soobin felt the soft lips against his neck his eyes closed instinctively, and he moaned lowly. Yeonjun heard the small noise and squeeze their hands tighter.</p><p>After seconds of him breathing the omega’s scent, Yeonjun kissed his neck tenderly. He did it once. Twice. Then he left an open-mouthed kiss.</p><p>Soobin was already riled up from it, he shifted a little to get closer to the vampire, if it was even possible.</p><p>Yeonjun grazed his fangs against his skin and Soobin felt it again. He felt his blood follow the movement of the fangs as if it was waiting for Yeonjun to drink it.</p><p>When Yeonjun broke the skin, Soobin gasped lowly. It felt different from when he bit on his shoulder. Soobin felt the pleasure directly, as it overpowered the usual sting.</p><p>Soobin moaned louder than before. His body was reacting the best way to it. He felt the blood leaving his body to get suck by Yeonjun and it sent shivers all through his body. The pleasure ran through his body and rested on his lower stomach like it always did.</p><p>Soobin could never get used to the feeling taking his brain and turning him into a mush of relaxation and loose moans.</p><p>(He liked to think that it felt like that when you spent your heat with your mate.</p><p>The way that his wolf conscience would growl lowly, right now made him think that it was pretty close to what he felt at the moment.)</p><p>Yeonjun’s hold on his neck tightened and he pulled Soobin even tighter against him. he heard him moaned against his neck and it only made Soobin even more needy for his touch. He raised their intertwined hands to his mouth and kissed them. He couldn’t control himself at this point. it was just too much.</p><p>It just felt too right.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>This time they stayed his each other’s arms a little longer.</p><p>Neither of them minded.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>They cleaned up quickly. They didn’t think that it was necessary to use the scent blockers right away since they were going to hang out after and wanted to be able to be close to each other.</p><p>So, Soobin applied the skin patch carefully, put on his sweater and they left the house after that.</p><p>They walked hand in hand outside of the hotel until they reached the bus stop. It was 6:30PM, so they had an hour and a half before heading back to their respective home.</p><p> Yeonjun had said that he had an idea of where to go and Soobin had smiled at him. he trusted him anyways.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later they were in the same park than last week.</p><p>“Just, tell me where are we going!” Soobin whined childishly.</p><p>“Hum… I don’t think so. Sorry, wolfie.” Yeonjun said playfully.</p><p>“Okay, first of all, don’t call me wolfie. It’s not 2009 anymore,” Yeonjun chuckled Soobin’s stern expression, “and second: Just please tell me,” He pouted childishly.</p><p>“Fine… We’re going to… a Christmas Market!” Yeonjun announced excitedly and Soobin gasped at him.</p><p>“Really? I never went to one before!” Soobin announced in excitement. He rarely felt like this.</p><p>“I know, you mentioned it few weeks ago while you were putting on the scent blockers. I’ve been wanting to find a way to take you here, ever since.” Yeonjun explained with a smile.</p><p>Soobin nodded and smiled back at him. Yeonjun looked at him with wide eyes, cheeks covered in a thin orange veil.</p><p>They walked with a buzz of excitement after that. Soon they could hear the noise of a big crowd.</p><p>Before they knew it, they were surrounded by hundreds of people, moving through the crowd to look at the cute and warm stands that were selling all kind of street foods. People were laughing, some were singing. You could see interspecies couple with their children, and no one batted an eye. They were all gathered here to hang out without any judgment. Simply love. The joyful feeling buzzed all around Soobin in the most overwhelming but beautiful way.</p><p>He smiled at Yeonjun to express how happy he was because words just wouldn’t do. Yeonjun smiled back and pointed at a stand that sold some food that Soobin didn’t know but that Yeonjun guaranteed was the best thing he’d ever taste. Soobin trusted him.</p><p>After buying lots of different food that Yeonjun swore that Soobin would love, they settled in the indoor food court to eat them. they were in one of the corners, a little bit away from everyone but not completely secluded either.</p><p>“Okay now taste this.” Yeonjun pushed the small paper plate toward Soobin who had his toothpick ready to taste the treat. He bit into it and the sweet taste melted in his mouth.</p><p>“I lied earlier, that’s my favorite thing,” Soobin moaned and Yeonjun chuckled at his reaction. He then picked one of the treats to eat it himself.</p><p>“I’m glad that you are enjoying yourself.” Yeonjun grinned at him. Soobin shook his head as he munched the food in hurry to answer.</p><p>“I really am. I think I needed this…”, Yeonjun nodded in comfort before taking Soobin’s hand in his.</p><p>They initiated contacts naturally since the first time Yeonjun had drank his blood and even more since that last blood drinking session, it seemed. Soobin came to love having Yeonjun touching him. not that he would ever admit it.</p><p>“Not to sound like the worst person ever but I’m secretly glad that we get to see each other each week. God knows what would’ve happened to me if I had been completely alone at this moment.” Soobin joked half-heartedly. He didn’t like to dwell on it too much. This kind of thoughts riddled his mind late at night but right now he didn’t even want to give them a chance to manifest themselves.</p><p>“I’m also glad that I’m dying and that we can be together.” The vampire said jokingly before realizing the way he phrased his sentence, “I mean—not <em>together</em> together. More like we get to meet and talk and… stuff” Yeonjun shuffled with his words and Soobin cooed internally at the sight. His cheeks hadn’t lost the orange shade ever since they had entered the market.</p><p>“I got it Yeonjun” He chuckled, “No need to stress over it.” He took another bite of the food happily. “This food is so good that I forgot to say grace before eating,” he said absentmindedly.</p><p>“You think that God will be mad at you for this?” Yeonjun joked. Soobin rolled his eyes playfully.</p><p>“I think that I did worse things than that. He’ll forgive me for that.” Soobin said carelessly.</p><p>Yeonjun scoffed, smile still present, “You? Choi Soobin? Tell me one thing that you did that is worse than that.” He raised a single eyebrow.</p><p>Soobin gnawed his lower lip, hesitating to say what he actually thought.</p><p>He looked at Yeonjun’s doe eyes, waiting for him. after few seconds of shared looks, he lowered his eyebrow to look at Soobin with a much softer gaze. A fonder one.</p><p>Well, here went nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“I have a crush on a vampire.”</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes widened.</p><p>He gulped and continued, “That vampire is a boy, too. I think that this is bad in every deity’s books.” He attempted to joke.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun’s grip on Soobin’s hand tightened. Soobin’s breath hitched.</p><p>Yeonjun’s mouth went agape. It opened and closed like he was confused on what to say. Soobin cleared his throat, eyes falling on the food as if to give Yeonjun some time to collect himself.</p><p>“I—I didn’t expect that at all.” The vampire said.</p><p>Soobin chuckled a little bitterly, “Yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Then he didn’t say anything more.</p><p>Soobin waited but Yeonjun didn’t say anything more.</p><p>He was a little confused. He had thought that his feelings would be reciprocated but Yeonjun hadn’t said anything.</p><p>He was embarrassed</p><p>He tried to pull his hand away from Yeonjun’s but Yeonjun caught it again, this time interlacing their fingers together. Soobin kept his gaze focused on it. Yeonjun’s hand was soft. It was really cold naturally, but it was even colder with the weather. Still Soobin loved the feeling of his hand against Yeonjun’s. When he drank his blood, it had been a reflex for them to hold hands. Because it grounded them. Reassured them.</p><p>Just like it did, now.</p><p>“I like you, too, Soobin. Please don’t misunderstand my silence.” Yeonjun said and although the words were so amazing to hear, it had such a sad lilt.</p><p>“Then why do you sound so sad?” he asked lowly.</p><p>“I just… You’re a wolf. I’m a vampire.”</p><p>Soobin eyes snapped on Yeonjun’s. he looked so sad, the blush had reigned down, but his eyes were glistening.</p><p>“I thought we agreed that it didn’t matter. That our species didn’t matter.”</p><p>“For a friendship, yes. But not for a relationship, Soobin.”</p><p>Soobin untangled their hands, pulling away completely even after Yeonjun whined to keep it in his own.</p><p>It hurt.</p><p>It hurt because he knew that Yeonjun was right.</p><p>“Your mother would never allow you. My dad would never either.”</p><p>“Fuck my mother.” Soobin said instinctively, frowning in hurt.</p><p>“Yes, and fuck my dad. But, Soobin, as long as we live under their roofs, we have to follow their rules. At least until we move out.”</p><p>Soobin scoffed, “Don’t you get it, though? I’ll never escape my mother’s clutches. She controls my dad, my whole family. She controls me. I thought that, at least, she didn’t control what we had, Yeonjun…” he knew he was being unreasonable, but he was hurt.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Soobin.”</p><p>Soobin shook his head and sighed in defeat, “No, I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t think that it would go like this. I was stupid enough to have hope.”</p><p>“You’re not stupid. I’ve liked you since the beginning of the year. I think you’re adorable and so beautiful and—”</p><p>Soobin didn’t want to hear that, though.</p><p>He wanted to go home and curl up in bed because of how embarrassed he was right now. Yeonjun hadn’t rejected him per say, so why did it hurt like that.</p><p>“—because you’re an omega.”</p><p>He looked up to the vampire, “What about me being an omega?”</p><p>Yeonjun gulped and chose his words carefully “You have needs that I wouldn’t even be able to provide help for…”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“I’m talking about your heats.” Yeonjun winced at the sharp tone that Soobin was talking in.</p><p>“What do you know about heats, Choi Yeonjun?” Soobin hissed at him. He was getting overly angry, he knew.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to—”</p><p>“No! I’m sick of people assuming things about me. I need <em>this</em>, I need <em>that</em>, I should be like <em>this</em> and like <em>that</em>. I never asked to be like that, Yeonjun. I always wanted to be normal. I never got to be normal, and weirdly enough, only two people made me feel like I was on earth. Taehyun and <em>you</em>. Now, I lost Taehyun and you throw this at me?! How dare you assuming what <em>I</em> need?!”</p><p>Yeonjun was blanching at the words, trying to explain himself but Soobin wouldn’t let him.</p><p>“I’m going to tell you what I <em>need</em>, Yeonjun. I <em>need</em> a mother who doesn’t make my life a living hell by controlling every aspect of it and keeping me from any type of happiness. I <em>need</em> people to stop looking at me like I’m a freak or a <em>piece of meat.</em> I <em>need</em> to have my best friend back. And most of all, I needed you. I <em>like you</em>, Yeonjun, I really do.”</p><p>Yeonjun was speechless.</p><p>Soobin didn’t even make sense to himself, now.</p><p>It was unfair.</p><p>He was unfair to Yeonjun.</p><p>“You know what? I’m sorry that my biology made you think that you weren’t enough for me, but trust me Yeonjun. You’re more than enough for me. <em>Hell!</em> I feel like I don’t deserve someone like you, sometimes.</p><p>“That’s not true—”</p><p>“Well, it doesn’t matter, anyways. Because you would never be able to be with me because you seem to think that I need a big alpha dick to make me feel good, when all I know that my wolf would only scream for you.”</p><p>Soobin had said too much. He wasn’t even controlling his words anymore.</p><p>Yeonjun was gaping at him at this point.</p><p> </p><p>He had to leave.</p><p>“Give me the scent blockers, please.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m leaving, but I can’t go home smelling like you; give me the scent blockers.” Soobin explained sternly.</p><p>Yeonjun was still in shock but he reached his bag and gave it to Soobin.</p><p>Soobin opened it and found a small present wrapped in an orange gift wrapper. He paused.</p><p>“It’s for you.” Yeonjun said lowly, “Please take it before you leave.”</p><p>Soobin froze for few seconds, tears welling up in his eyes, but he exhaled slowly before talking the gift and putting it on the table while he rummaged for the scent blocker.</p><p>When he found the small bottle, he stood up and sprayed two pumps on himself before putting it back in the backpack.</p><p>“Please take the gift, Soobin” Yeonjun pleaded.</p><p>Soobin pressed his lips in a thin line and reluctantly took the gift in his hand before walking out of the food court and then out of the Christmas market.</p><p>He left the joyful noise behind him and never turned back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>...... You thought that I would finish this on a happy note? YOU THOUGHT WRONNG MUHAHAHAHA</p><p>(dont hate me pls)</p><p>Also I said it earlier, I'll say it again: HOW. PUMPED. ARE. WE. FOR. THIS COMEBACK???</p><p>Comment, pls leave kudos, and plsssssssss stay safe,<br/>Love yall</p><p>Tae2junnies out *mic drop*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. At The End of A Grey Reality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m sorry for the delay for this chapter<br/>Also this is going to be longer than anticipated<br/>But fear not, I’m so invested in this that I won’t not finish it</p><p>I just wanted to warn you:<br/>TW// Homophobic language!!!!</p><p>Oh also, I’m sorry if you feel like it’s a filler chapter. I felt like it was important to have Taehyun’s pov (and squeeze some Taegyu for fucks sake)</p><p>Anyways, lovelies! Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Soobin walked home and had reached it right before his mother arrived. In a way he should have been thankful that his thing with Yeonjun had ended a little earlier.</p><p>‘<em>Bullshit</em>’, he thought.</p><p>He was heart broken and still dejected at the thought of what had happened.</p><p>He hated the fact that things had ended like that. He had gotten mad at the vampire in a little exaggerated way, but it was more out of hurt than actual anger.</p><p>He was in his room, getting out of his shower to get some clothes. On the way to his closet he saw the small orange gift that Yeonjun had given him.</p><p>Soobin sighed at the sight.</p><p> </p><p>He really didn’t understand what had gone through his head when he decided to confess.</p><p>They just had made so much… progress. It simply felt right.</p><p>He knew that it felt right for Yeonjun too.</p><p>He could tell that Yeonjun really did like him, too.</p><p>Maybe that’s what had hurt the most.</p><p>The fact that despite their mutual feelings for each other, it still wasn’t enough for them to be together.</p><p>There was just too much against them. Too much at stake, too.</p><p>He sighed in defeat as he found an old shirt and a sweater to put on. Once he put on sweatpants, he walked to the gift to open it.</p><p>When he had it in his hands, he breathed in and out.</p><p>It smelled like him, too, he thought sadly.</p><p>He carefully unwrapped the gift to see a small white box looking at him. he opened the box and found a chain.</p><p>He pulled out a beautiful locket out off the box and looked at it with more attention.</p><p>The locket was in the shape of a medium-size red tear drop. On the tear drop were intricate silver threads circling it. One the threads circled a silver ball and Soobin realized that you could open the locket.</p><p>He carefully unlocked the locket and looked inside. There was orange glitter in it. Soobin frowned at it. Why orange glitter?</p><p>He looked inside the box and saw a folded note. He unfolded it.</p><p> </p><p>‘<strong>Dear Soobin,</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Merry Christmas</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>This is coming from someone that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, but I think that you’re more important than my dumb beliefs</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>This locket is a pale gift compared to what you’re doing for me</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(And I’m not only talking about the blood thing)</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>But when I saw it, it just made me think of you</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>PS: You compared my blush to orange glitter once, remember ^^? Now, with that locket, you always have a part of the way I feel for you because you’re the only one that make me blush like that.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>PSS: Was that too much? Sorry lol’ &lt;3 &lt;3</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin read it and reread it.</p><p>He bit his lips, gnawed them until they were dry from how much he abused them, from how much he felt.</p><p>Yeonjun’s disappointed and hurt face resurfaced in his memory.</p><p>It really was <em>unfair</em>, their situation.</p><p>He sighed as he fiddled with the locket.</p><p>Was he going to keep it? When he had took the gift from Yeonjun he had planned to throw it away, but now he found himself being unable to do so.</p><p> </p><p>He was throwing away the box and gift wrapper in the bin under his desk when someone knocked on his door. He hastily put everything away and put the locket in his sweatpants before his door opened.</p><p>It was his mother, she narrowed her eyes on him as he turned to her. He tried to act as nonchalant as possible.</p><p>“What are you doing?” she asked in suspicion. He looked at her with innocent eyes and turned to his desk to act like he was tidying up his desk.</p><p>“Nothing, mother. Just tidying up my desk. The day after tomorrow is back to school, after all.” He said steadily. In these moments Soobin thanked God that his mother hadn’t the vampire ability to have a great hearing. Otherwise she would hear his heart pounding against his chest.</p><p>“You’re hiding something.” She hissed as she approached him. “I can smell your disgustingly sweet scent spiking up, Soobin. What are you hiding?”</p><p>Soobin gulped at her proximity, “Mother, I think you’re misunderstanding, I—”</p><p>“I know you didn’t go home right after your cello lesson, Soobin.”</p><p>Soobin froze.</p><p>“I also know that you went home ten minutes before I did, I could smell your scent on the porch.” She hissed at him. she was few inches from him now. He could feel the desk edges press painfully on his hipbone from how much she was cornering him. “Now, I’m going to ask you once and you better answer: Where. Were. You?”</p><p>Soobin cleared his throat, before whimpering, “I was at the town’s library mother. I was only at the—”</p><p>“Stop lying to me!” She screamed. “I know that you’re lying. Tell me where you were, now!”</p><p>“Mother, I swear I was—”</p><p>“Do you want me to call your father to confirm that?!” she didn’t wait for his answer, “Minhyuk! Come see your ungrateful son!” she screamed loudly, eyes still fixed on Soobin.</p><p>Soon enough, his father entered his room, a confused look on his face. When he looked at the scene he understood what was happening.</p><p>“What’s wrong Yina? Did something happened?”</p><p>“Your son is a pathological liar. He lied about his whereabouts and when I asked him about it he lied more. Do something.”</p><p>Soobin and his father shared an alarmed look. Soobin didn’t know if his father should say something or not. Life would be way more difficult if his mother didn’t trust his father anymore. He would have no power to stop her from taking her harsh decisions.</p><p>His mother noticed the shared look and she glared daggers at his father, “Did you know about this, Minhyuk?!” she spat at him. they all could feel his father’s scent spike in dread. So, he acted before things worsened.</p><p>“He didn’t know anything! I lied and neither of you knew about it.” He blurted out. His father looked at him with wide eyes. Soobin avoided both of their gazes.</p><p>“What did you lie about, you brat?” she hissed at him.</p><p>Soobin gulped and sighed, “I wasn’t at the library… I was with a friend.” He simply said.</p><p>His mother gasped in anger, “You were with what?!”</p><p>“Soobin…” His dad said, “Is this true?”</p><p>He looked at his father and felt a tear falling on his chest, he hadn’t even realized that he was crying.</p><p>“Yeah. I just wanted to spend some time with a friend, like a normal teenager. I’ve been so stressed lately and since I stopped seeing Taehyun I—”</p><p>“Again, with that faggot? What are you always talking about him, like that? Do you have feelings for him? Are you a freak like him?!” his mother looked hysteric at this point, his father was trying to calm her down by putting his arm on her shoulder but she would push him away each times.</p><p>Soobin choked on his tears, “I don’t! Mother, he’s been my best friend since we were children! I just miss him, that’s it!”</p><p>“I don’t want you to see or talk about him ever again! He’s been a bad influence on you and now you’re all soft. Well let me tell you, life is harder than that! You can’t be weakened and ruin our reputation. As an omega you should—”</p><p> </p><p>“—<em>And what do you know about being an omega</em>?” Soobin muttered out, despite himself.</p><p>The world froze. Soobin froze. His mother gaped at him. His father looked gobsmacked.</p><p>It had just came out like that.</p><p>His mother was speechless. The whole house was suddenly quiet and all you could hear was his mother’s heavy breathing and Soobin quiet sobbing.</p><p>“<em>What</em> did you just say to me?” she asked icily.</p><p>Soobin was already screwed anyways. He had lost Taehyun and he had lost Yeonjun. He had no one. He had nothing else to lose.</p><p>“You always talk about how a good omega should be like this or like that… But mother you are an omega and you don’t follow any of those rules. You always say that an omega should be caring, nurturing, nice and should pay attention to their surroundings…. But mother, ever since I was six years old you never cared about me, you locked me up when I didn’t have straight As. You left me stranded to deal with my presentation and my heats when I was alone and confused. You never take care of us when either of us is sick.”</p><p>His father was looking at him like he had gone crazy and his mother. Well, she was seething.</p><p>“You don’t care about me! You don’t care about father! You don’t care about Hyunbin nor Jina! You only care about yourself and what is good for the family’s image! So, I’m asking you; <em>What do you know being a good omega</em>?” he cried out. He was tired. He was dead inside.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He felt the slap before he saw it.</p><p> </p><p>One second he was against the desk and the other he was on the floor looking at his mother that was looming over him with the most seething look she had ever thrown his way.</p><p>“How <em>dare you</em> talking to me like that, you crazy brat?!” she screamed at him, before slapping him again, harder this time. He yelped at the impact. He cried louder.</p><p>His father held on his mother from kicking him but she had the time to kick him in the guts once and he bumped his head against his bed in the process.</p><p>He felt his cheek and stomach throbbing at the pain. It was going to leave bruises.</p><p>“Yina! Calm down!” His father held on her as she went feral, trying to claw her way out to get to her son.</p><p>Soobin was too shocked to even react, he was holding on his stomach when he saw some blood falling on his shirt. His lip was bleeding.</p><p>After few seconds she suddenly stop to fight her husband’s grip. Silence invaded the room. Soobin looked at her and saw her looking at something next to him.</p><p>She was looking at the opened note that must’ve fell off his pocket when he fell.</p><p>“What is this, Soobin?”</p><p>He tried to scramble to get the note back, but she got to it before he could.</p><p>She read it in detail and looked at him with wide, crazy eyes. She then smelled the note and Soobin closed his eyes to race himself.</p><p>“… You’re seeing a vampire?” she asked in pure shock and anger.</p><p>Soobin didn’t say anything. He was trying to calm his breath, because he was pretty sure that he was having a panic attack.</p><p>“Soobin?” his father tried to call for him.</p><p>But he couldn’t hear anything. His sight was getting darker and before he knew it, he passed out cold.</p><p> </p><p>The last thing he heard was a scoff.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>When he opened his eyes, he immediately closed them because of the blinding light.</p><p>His head was pounding, and he had a hard time moving it.</p><p>He blinked his eyes open once he got used to the sun light shining on them.</p><p>He was in his room.</p><p>He looked around briefly.</p><p>His room was empty.</p><p>He got up in shock, ignoring the throbbing pain on his side when he did so. He looked down at his stomach to see a bandage on it. He felt around his head to notice that there was also something wrapping his head.</p><p>He looked at his alarm clock and gasped when he saw the date.</p><p>It had been four days since his mother had found out.</p><p>He had slept for four days.</p><p> </p><p>He looked around more, to check the rest of his room and there was indeed nothing left. A sense of dread invaded him as he slowly walked around. All of his pictures that he had hung on his wall, his small library with his favorite books, the clothes in his closet. They were all gone. All there was left was his desk and chair with his school stuff on it and basic toiletry gathered in a small bag.</p><p>He entered his bathroom and there was nothing either, just a small bag that gathered basic toiletries. He looked inside the toilet and saw that the skin patch box was missing.</p><p>H looked at his reflection in the mirror while being in the bathroom.</p><p>A pale, thin and bruised boy looked at him. He had a sloppy bandage wrapped around his forehead and a swollen lip.</p><p>He sighed in defeat, once again.</p><p>He walked back into his room until something caught his eyes. He looked towards the door and saw that it was locked from the outside. He could hear noise downstairs, of someone of walking but that was it.</p><p>On his door was a note stuck on it.</p><p> </p><p>‘<strong>Your father and I decided that enough was enough</strong></p><p>
  <strong>You’ve always been a pure disappointment but that was the last straw</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>We’re sick of you, so we took your things away</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>You’re not allowed to go out until you behave’</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin choked on his tears as he read the note.</p><p>It was over.</p><p>He would never get out of there.</p><p>He sobbed in defeat but tried to calm himself down. If he didn’t, he was going to have a panic attack, and he couldn’t deal with that alone.</p><p>He walked back to his bed to lie down because he felt dizziness from staying up too long.</p><p>As he lied down, he brushed his hands to his sweatpants. He felt a small bump. He reached inside and found the locket.</p><p>He sighed in relief. His mother hadn’t found the locket. He held it tight against his heart. It smelled a little like Yeonjun. The scent calmed him down immediately.</p><p>He took deep breaths.</p><p>He had to hide it the best way he could.</p><p>He opened the locket and the orange glitter was still in it.</p><p>He kept on taking big breaths, hands holding the locket hard.</p><p>Everything will be okay, he lied to himself desperately.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taehyun missed Soobin, badly so.</p><p><em>Terribly</em> so.</p><p>When Taehyun said that he hated, despised, <em>loathed</em> Choi Yina, it was an euphemism.</p><p>Ever since he had met Soobin, even before she turned to be that horrible person, he had a bad hunch about her.</p><p>And he was 4 years old, back then.</p><p>He knew that Soobin always reminded him that if it wasn’t for her they would never had been friends. That she had pushed him to make friends with Taehyun. Taehyun always scoffed at that meek explanation.</p><p>Taehyun would have found a way to talk to Soobin, one way or another. Soobin was shy and soft-spoken and so, so nice. It was just too easy to get attached to him. Taehyun would have talked to him eventually, especially because all the other kids in their church groups were either brats or too loud.</p><p>And, in anyways, nothing could justify the horrible treatment that Choi Yina had put through her kids during all those years. It was also crazy how no one seemed to notice it. How the Choi siblings were a little bit more tense when she was around. How Hyunbin would oftentimes arrive at church with trail of tears on his cheeks. How Jina would enhance her features to make herself look more appealing and open but would flee from any physical contact. How Soobin could look like he had lost lots of weight within a single weekend.</p><p>No one would notice. Or maybe, no one would say anything.</p><p> </p><p>That was years ago and Taehyun still stood on his ground about all the assumptions he had about Soobin. About his mother.</p><p>He was an angel and his mother was the devil looming on his shoulder that would cause his demise.</p><p>That was why he wasn’t surprised when Soobin talked to him to tell him about her decision to end their friendship. Because it was her decision to make. She was in that deep into Soobin’s mind.</p><p>Taehyun was devastated, though.</p><p>He tried to make some kind of plan to dupe Soobin’s mother, on the first day. They were careful not to scent their clothes and everything. But the day after, Soobin really was avoiding him, and Taehyun just knew that had found some kind leverage on him.</p><p>He remembered crying his eyes out that night.</p><p>He was crying about most likely losing his best friend – soulmate – but he was also crying for his best friend.</p><p>Taehyun always believed that Soobin was so brave. Soobin would scoff when he would say this, but the beta really meant it. Soobin had to basically raise himself, and take care of his siblings, handle this father’s passivity and his mother’s fits of cruelty and anger. Despite that he still was the smartest, most hard-working and generous person that Taehyun had ever met. It took real bravery and emotional strength to be all those things.</p><p> </p><p>It was heartbreaking to see his best friend’s health deteriorate and not being able to do anything about. Two months after they had stopped talking to each other, Soobin looked thinner in an almost worrying way. Students would make fun of him for it and Taehyun would see that it destroyed Soobin from the inside. He tried to help his best friend, but he realized that it made things worse for the omega. He had overheard few alphas talking about them. There was basically an handful of students that were spies for Soobin’s mother. And each interaction, even the slightest, that he had with Soobin would be incriminating for the omega.</p><p> It was sickening.</p><p>That’s why he was glad that Yeonjun was at least there for his best friend.</p><p> At first he had thought that Soobin’s mother would get a hold of their blood drinking secret but go figure, she had been completely clueless. Soobin kept on being there for the vampire and thank god, vice versa.</p><p>Through those three months, he had talked with Yeonjun more just to get updates on Soobin. The vampire had confirmed his suspicions about Soobin’s state. Still he was glad that at least he had someone to talk to through this horrible situation, even if it was about futile stuff.</p><p>Taehyun had also noticed the shift in their relationship. The way that Yeonjun would talk about Soobin was just... different. First, it was pure friendly worry that the beta could see on Yeonjun’s face when they had talked about Soobin. But then it was... something else.</p><p>Then, it was simply... softer. Yeonjun would talk about the omega with shy smiles and, honest to God, actual blushes on his snow white face. Taehyun would fine real worry etched on the vampire’s face but in a... loving way. As if he was seeing someone so, so important to him suffering.</p><p>It made sense in a way.</p><p>Taehyun had always known deep down that no wolf would be good enough for Soobin. A vampire, though... why not?</p><p> </p><p>He would never judge their relationships either... especially since he had gotten closer with his own type of vampire.</p><p> </p><p>Things had just happened with Beomgyu.</p><p>Actually, cut that, it hadn’t just happened.</p><p>At first Taehyun was just so over him. Over his careless behavior. Over his lack of commitment to anything. His first impression of him had been ruined by his jokster nature.</p><p>Then came the Yeonjun situation. It did change Taehyun’s mind about the ‘lack of commitment’ part for a bit. Beomgyu had basically handled 70% of Yeonjun and Soobin’s situation in the blink of an eye. It just showed how active Beomgyu could be... when it mattered to him.</p><p>So, yeah, something had shifted in Taehyun’s opinion of the vampire.</p><p>Also, Beomgyu had been so insistent to hang out and simply be there for Taehyun when Soobin had been forbidden to see him.</p><p>That was so surprising.</p><p>Taehyun remembered well. Few days after The Decision, he was inconsolable, his family and his’ relationship was still shaky so he couldn’t open up, despite Chaeryeong’s worried glances. He also didn’t want to make things worse for Soobin by saying too much about his home situation.</p><p>He had moped. A lot.</p><p>Then, came Choi Beomgyu.</p><p>He had been really annoying at first, but as soon as he saw how Taehyun wasn’t reactive in their usual banter, he changed. Not drastically. But he did.</p><p>He was just softer in the way he spoke. A little bit more careful with the way he approached him. A little more gentle when he joked with him. It was actually quite nice.</p><p>But Taehyun couldn’t do anything about the way he appreciated Beomgyu’s new behavior, because he couldn’t hang out with him entirely, anyways.</p><p> </p><p>That’s was before the discussion with his parents happened.</p><p>It had been a few weeks since he had came out to his family and that awkwardness reigned at home. It took almost a month for his parents to just grasp the concept of their son not being straight.</p><p>Taehyun was upset about it but not really surprised.</p><p>They were Christians after all. Even though, They were pretty open despite being in the CRPC, they still had a certain state of mind. Taehyun understood that it took time to readapt.</p><p>Still, it hurt a little bit.</p><p>It was probably the way that Taehyun hard been sad about not having Soobin that made his parents remember that it was their son, after all. That no matter his sexuality, it was still their baby, that needed a lot of support given the town they were living in.</p><p> </p><p>So, they had a long talk. About his sexuality. About what how he wanted them to be with him from now on (“Normal”, he had said, “normal is just perfect”). About whether he wanted to attend church since their church was not the most lgbt friendly place, (Taehyun had decided to go, but way less. He still had his faith, his own relationship with God, but the circle was overwhelming, sometimes.). About potential boyfriends or crushes (That was from his mother). Taehyun had blushed and scoffed to cover up any hint.</p><p>But somehow Beomgyu came to his mind.</p><p>He hadn’t said anything about him. He had just mentioned that he had just made friends that were accepting of him and his sexuality. He hinted that they were vampires. His parents had been surprised for twenty seconds, but they had gotten over it quickly. Learning that your son was friends with a vampire was not that bad or shocking when you were still getting used to him being attracted to men.</p><p>Things were a little better from there. He was allowed to be himself at home and watch his shows as he pleased.</p><p> </p><p>He was still struggling with it a little because he had a lot of second thoughts about his place in his family as a man. It was great that he had never considered his sexuality as something that made him less ‘manly. He was separating it pretty well.</p><p>But he still was shaky about his second gender. His family was accepting, yes, but they were still running in a particular circle. He had grown up with this image of what it was to be a man in the CRPC. You had to be an alpha, or at least be present in the household as some kind of caretaker, of protector. It was complicated to be that when you had three sisters alphas that were quite... energetic, outgoing and outspoken about everything.</p><p>In theory he knew that it was ridiculous to have this ‘man is the head of the house/leader’ state of mind. It was dumb and perpetuated patriarchal ways that he considered just... so backwards.</p><p>But it was still looming in his mind.</p><p>‘Be there. Take decisions. Be the alpha.’ A voice in him screamed.</p><p>It just didn’t work. He couldn’t force it either. Not when you had Chaeryeong, Chaeyeon and Yeojin as sisters. Chaeryeong was the only one who went to the same school as him and she was already explosive. He just couldn’t say anything to the three of them.</p><p>And to be honest, he didn’t want to. His struggle was even greater this way. Because it was a fight between what he should be and what he wanted to be.</p><p>That’s also where Beomgyu helped.</p><p>He had already been on the softer side when he had noticed how upset the beta was. But after they had been allowed to hang out fully, since Taehyun’s parents were okay with it, it had gotten even way... different.</p><p>Taehyun had confided on his self image issues to the vampire, expecting him to at least listen to him, and that was a stretch in itself because Beomgyu was... talkative. But Beomgyu had not only been an amazing listener but he had found himself empathizing and in a similar situation.</p><p>Apparently, being the son of an hotel magna wasn’t all gold and glitter. Beomgyu had his own share of struggles. He also didn’t know where he stood in his home. He barely felt like his father was there for him. Beomgyu confessed the fact that his mother was a human. That when he was a child, they both had been in a car accident that had been fatal for his mother. His father had just had the time to save Beomgyu by biting him to make Beomgyu a full vampire.</p><p>Taehyun had heard of half bloods before. Those people who were mixed humans and vampires but their genetic code would vary randomly, so they would either be mainly one specie or the other. Before his accident Beomgyu was mainly human, but in the effort of saving his son, his father had bit him to make him a full, immortal, vampire.</p><p>Sadly, his accident had took a toll on their father-son relationship. His father was distant, (“Surely from the heart break of losing his wife, his destined,” Beomgyu explained, “It’s like he had forgotten that I had also lost my mom, that day.”)</p><p>He also had great expectations of Beomgyu, making him feel like he would never be enough. Like he would never be what he should be.</p><p>Taehyun had been so surprised that the vampire had had such an history. It made him understand so much more about the blond vampire.</p><p>Time passed and it was just so much easier to talk to Beomgyu, to laugh with him, to confide in him when he missed Soobin. Beomgyu just made him feel great.</p><p>It was simply so easy with the vampire.</p><p>Taehyun liked the fact that Beomgyu just seemed to know what he was thinking, in dire times. He liked the way he would try to cheer him up when the vampire felt appropriate to do so, but would leave him alone when he felt like Taehyun just needed to be alone, for a moment.</p><p>He liked how when Beomgyu would get shy, he would have a yellow tint on his cheeks that matched his blond hair in the most beautiful way.</p><p>By the end of the year, they were really close and Taehyun’s heart would flutter every time that Beomgyu would smile his way.</p><p>Beomgyu hadn’t changed all that much, in a way. Yeonjun had said that he didn’t think that his best friend was different from when him and Taehyun had met.</p><p>Maybe, it was more the fact that Taehyun saw him in a whole different light. In the span of few months the vampire had carved a spot in the beta’s heart.</p><p>And Taehyun had gladly let him in.</p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>They were in the cafetaria. Taehyun, Beomgyu and Yeonjun. Beomgyu had stopped eating with the other jocks (that could actually eat at every lunch) when he had noticed how Taehyun was upset about Soobin, and Taehyun’s heart had fluttered a little when the vampire had confessed that when they had hung out during the holidays.</p><p>“Have you guys seen Soobin today?” Yeonjun said with a frown. Since the beginning of the day Yeonjun had looked upset. Taehyun didn’t want to overwhelm the vampire so he had let Beomgyu handle it. His ears still perked up when he heard his best friend’s name.</p><p>“No, but we usually don’t run by each other on Monday mornings,” he answered the vampire who looked defeated.</p><p>“Well, let’s look around. He usually eats in one of the corner tables.” Beomgyu said with a reassuring smile thrown Yeonjun’s way. What happened?</p><p>They looked around and didn’t see any trace of the omega. Something was off. Soobin never missed class, especially after holidays. His mother would never allow him, except if he was going through a heat. Except that he knew that his best friend wasn’t having it for another month.</p><p>“He’s not here. That’s not normal,” Taehyun said before turning to Yeonjun, “Did he say anything when you guys saw each other this weekend?”</p><p>Yeonjun’s already frowning face fell even more. His took his face in his hands and shook it. Taehyun was getting worried.</p><p>“What happened, Yeonjun?” Beomgyu asked worriedly.</p><p>“After we saw each other for my feeding, we decided to hang out a little since his cello lesson had to run short. We got out of town and hung out. We had a great time. We really did, until...” Yeonjun trailed off and sighed sadly.</p><p>“Until?” Taehyun asked, demanding. If Yeonjun had hurt his best friend in any way he would flip.</p><p>The vampire hesitated and Taehyun’s worry grew every time he opened and closed his mouth to find his words.</p><p>Beomgyu sighed, “You don’t have to talk about it if—“</p><p>“Yes, he does have to talk about it.” Taehyun interjected, “It’s about Soobin!”</p><p>Beomgyu frowned at the beta, “If something private happened between the two we should respect that, Taehyun.”</p><p>Taehyun scoffed, “There’s no such thing as private information between Soobin and I. If he had been there and we were on speaking term, he would have told me anyways. So, Yeonjun hyung, tell me what happened.”</p><p>Beomgyu was glaring at the beta for his harsh demand but Taehyun ignored him to look at Yeonjun’s conflicted expression.</p><p>“Until he confessed to me and I basically rejected him.”</p><p>Taehyun froze, mouth agape. The information wouldn’t sink in.</p><p>“He confessed. Soobin hyung confessed?” Beomgyu asked in similar disbelief.</p><p>“Confessed what exactly?” Taehyun asked dumbly. He had an idea but he just wanted confirmation. He didn’t want to assume something anything.</p><p>“He told me that he liked me,” Taehyun gasped, and Yeonjun winced, “We were just having a good time and he just said it, and I pretty much said that we couldn’t be together. Because of our parents and because it would be too complicated.” Yeonjun ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair in frustration.</p><p>Beomgyu’s eyes were wide opened in surprise, stare switching between Yeonjun and Taehyun.</p><p>Taehyun was just gobsmacked. And a little upset for his best friend.</p><p>Because, the simple fact that Soobin confessed his feelings to Yeonjun said a lot. Maybe it came from a place of vulnerability, since he assumed that Soobin must have been from the holidays (how ironic). Maybe there was more.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Beomgyu asked his best friend in worry.</p><p>Taehyun scoffed, ignoring Beomgyu’s affronted expression, “Is he okay?! I can’t believe you would do that when you know that he’s in such a vulnerable place lately... and I thought that you liked him.”</p><p>“It’s obvious that he wouldn’t have done that just to hurt Soobin.” Beomgyu interjected. Taehyun glared at him.</p><p>“Yes! And I... I do like him. I really do. We just work well, I guess. I care about him. A lot.” Yeonjun in frustration but in a softer tone now. But Taehyun was still mad. It just didn’t make sense.</p><p>“Then why would you reject him?! You like him. He likes you.”</p><p>“Because it’s more complicated than that! You know how his home situation is. You know how mine is, too! Do you really think that we could be together, even in secret, without getting into serious trouble?!” Yeonjun raged. Taehyun just narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“So, you’re willing to put him at risk with his mother for yourself but when it’s for him, for his happiness, suddenly it’s not worth it.” The beta said drily.</p><p>“How can you compare a matter of life or death with this?! I need his blood to survive, Taehyun. Us being together is nothing compare to that. It would just make things more difficult to handle!” Yeonjun protested, eyes getting more golden by the second.</p><p>Taehyun looked at the vampire and sighed. Them fighting about it wouldn’t change anything. And Yeonjun was kind of right.</p><p>“Okay... You’re right. I just... I feel like you don’t understand. Soobin has been convinced his entire life that he didn’t deserve to be loved. That no one would want him because of his secondary gender. Despite that, he actually <em>confessed</em> to you. He put himself out there in a way I never imagined he would be able to do... he did that <em>for you</em>.”</p><p>Yeonjun kept his eyes on the table, hands on his head and face hidden from the other two. Taehyun could feel his distress from where he was seating, opposite to him.</p><p>“I know, I just... When I explained the reason of my rejection he was rather understanding. But... I also said something that he misinterpreted and that pissed him. I was an idiot. I should have figured that it wouldn’t have been well-received given what we had talked about before,” Yeonjun sighed.</p><p>Beomgyu put a reassuring hand on his best friend’s shoulder, “What did you say?”</p><p>“I basically told him that he didn’t need me anyways because he was a wolf omega and he needed an alpha for his heats.” Taehyun winced at the words. Yeah, Soobin struggled a lot with that, “But he didn’t took that well. At all. He said that he was sick of people telling him what to do. That he only... needed me. Anyways, I screwed up.” Yeonjun gritted out.</p><p>Taehyun looked at the vampire defeated form and decided not to press over the details. He clearly was affected badly about this and felt remorse. Taehyun was still mad at the idea of Soobin being most likely heartbroken but he figured that it was also hard for the vampire.</p><p>“I just... I wished that it would have been simpler. That we could just be together without all of this parents drama.”</p><p>Taehyun and Beomgyu both nodded in understanding, before looking at each other. Beomgyu was staring at him with a small smile, that Taehyun couldn’t translate but still found himself giving back.</p><p>Once Beomgyu detached his eyes from the beta he cleared his throat, “I think that you should find a way to talk to him this week. Just to clear the air. You two are in a delicate position and whether you like it or not, you still have to see each other each Saturdays. Hopefully he won’t go back on his promise,” he looked at Taehyun in question.</p><p>Taehyun hummed, “It’s not his type. No matter how sad he is, he would never put your life in danger like that. I’m sure of this.”</p><p>Beomgyu nodded, expression relaxing in relief a little at the words. He must’ve been worried for his best friend’s situation. Taehyun could see that.</p><p>Yeonjun was still folded on himself despite that. Beomgyu sighed at the sight and said tried to coax him out, “Come on Yeonjun. I understand that you’re sad. And take all the time you need to mope. But you know that beating yourself up for this won’t settle things. You need to eventually talk to him. When you feel ready, of course.” He said carefully. It was obvious that it wasn’t the first time that such thing happened. Yeonjun being overly upset for something and Beomgyu picking up the broken pieces.</p><p>Since Yeonjun didn’t budge right away they let him alone for some time, chatting quietly in their corner. Beomgyu slid to the other side to be next to the beta, small smile on his lips.</p><p>“Sorry for bursting out on you guys, like that,” Taehyun muttered in embarrassment.</p><p>Beomgyu smiled back, “It’s okay. We’re both protective of both of them. I didn’t expect any other reaction from you.” Taehyun nodded, happy that Beomgyu understood that.</p><p>“Yeah... I can’t imagine how it must feel to be in such a position.“ Taehyun hushed, making sure that the moping vampire across the table didn’t hear that.</p><p>“Me, too. To not be able to be with who you like when you feel ready... I would be as sad as Yeonjun.” Beomgyu hushed back, eyes still on Taehyun.</p><p>Taehyun tried to reigned down his blush at the words. He smiled back shyly and nodded, not being able to say more than that.</p><p>(He could have said something. He just felt like it was not their time, yet.)</p><p>They kept on chatting quietly until the bell rang. They made sure that Yeonjun was okay, and went to their respective class.</p><p>He tried to pay attention to see if Soobin was there, without result.</p><p>Dread took his mind but he tried to calm it down.</p><p>‘Tomorrow, he would be there.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>A week passed by and Soobin was still absent.</p><p>Taehyun was definitely worried by then.</p><p>On the three first days he was already suspicious. Like he had said to the vampires, Soobin never ever skipped classes. Never.</p><p>By the five days mark, their back-to-school week was already over and they hadn’t seen the omega anywhere. Taehyun had even asked teachers about his whereabouts and they couldn’t tell him a thing, their own faces etched in silent worry.</p><p>He had also asked Soobin’s sibling. He had cornered Jina by her locker. When he asked if Soobin was okay, she answered a vague ‘yes’ but her stance was so fidgety. She looked like she was clearly hiding something and was trying to find an escape to Taehyun’s question.</p><p>“Jina. Please tell me if he’s at least safe.” He had begged her. She was avoiding his eyes as if one glance at Taehyun’s piercing eyes would make her crack.</p><p>“I— Oppa, I’m sorry, I need to go to class.” She muttered before closing her locker quickly and nearly running away from him.</p><p> </p><p>On Saturday, Yeonjun had texted their group chat to tell them that Soobin hadn’t showed up at the hotel as usual.</p><p>By then Taehyun was creating the most ridiculous scenarios in his mind. Soobin would never miss something as crucial as Yeonjun’s blood session. He didn’t believe Yeonjun’s idea that the omega was so mad that he wouldn’t show up.</p><p>Soobin hadn’t that in him. Even in times of hurt he would have showed up. Only his mother would he able to stop him from being there.</p><p>Something was definitely wrong.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>On Sunday, Taehyun had showed up at church just to make sure that his worry was completely exaggerated. If Choi Yina was uptight about her children and school, she was a tyran about them being present at church.</p><p>Taehyun had went there, ignoring the curious eyes of the rest of the community at his presence. He knew that some people didn’t like his lack of commitment to religion. If only they knew how much he didn’t care.</p><p>He sat with his parents inside the church, waiting for the beginning of the  service and most importantly the Chois.</p><p>When the family came inside, Taehyun expected the tall and lanky figure to come in. He waited. And waited.</p><p>He hadn’t been there.</p><p>The ‘perfect’ Choi family was missing a member and if people glanced at them in question, Soobin’s mother’s fake smile crumbling a little under the unusual negative attention, Taehyun was looking at her for an entire other reason.</p><p>Soobin was in deep trouble, if not danger. Taehyun could just tell.</p><p>When Gunhee’s mother asked Yina about Soobin’s whereabouts, she simply said “He has the flu so I decided to leave him rest. We wouldn’t want him to contaminate anyone, right?” With the fakest smile that Taehyun had ever seen on her. He hadn’t missed Soobin’s father stiff stance, eyes avoiding everyone else’s. Same for the siblings.</p><p>Her excuse was just not solid to Taehyun, either. The handful of times that Soobin was sick, she didn’t care about him contaminating other people. She would make him go to school, to the point that the omega passed out because of the fever once.</p><p>Taehyun was sure that something had had happened to Soobin at this precise moment.</p><p>After the church service was done he texted Yeonjun and Beomgyu to tell them. They had decided to meet each other at Beomgyu’s home.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So you think that she did something to him?” Beomgyu asked the beta.</p><p>They were in Beomgyu’s bedroom seating in circle on his king-sized bed. Taehyun had went to Beomgyu’s house just after church with his parent’s permission to go out for the day. Yeonjun had arrived a little later in the morning, having overslept on Sunday morning. He had thrown up until 1AM because of the blood he had drank last night. He still showed up with worry etched on his face for the omega more than for himself.</p><p>Taehyun nodded at the blond, “It just doesn’t add up. His mother would never make him miss a week of school because of the flu. Plus, his sister didn’t mention that he was sick when I talked to her on Wednesday. Something is definitely wrong. His mother did something and his family is either too scared or too much of a coward to talk about it.”</p><p>They all stayed in silence to process this information. In those type of moments, the fact that they were so young just slapped them hard in their faces. It wasn’t easy to find a solution.</p><p>“We have to do something for him. Who knows what he’s going through locked up in his house like that. Who knows what his mother did to him.” Yeonjun muttered, eyes glowing from the worry and anger.</p><p>Beomgyu sighed, “But what can we do? I mean, she’s his mother and we know that she is an amazing liar. The logical plan should be calling the police but who would believe us against her? Everyone would eat her shit up.”</p><p>“Because everyone would rather believe her lies than the ugly truth. That’s the worst part of our community.” Taehyun grumbled.</p><p>Yeonjun sighed in frustration, “We still need to do something... We need to find an adult first.”</p><p>“Taehyun do you know anyone that Soobin trusted enough to believe us if we told them about the situation?” Beomgyu asked the beta.</p><p>Taehyun didn’t answer right away. Frankly he was so worried for his best friend. Soobin hadn’t lived his life for years in fear, judgment and suffering just so that... that, whatever his mother did to him, ruins him like that. It was just so unfair that such a great person would have such a life.</p><p>Taehyun felt a hand taking his. He snapped out of his inner thoughts to see at Beomgyu looking at him with so much emotion. Reassurance, empathy and maybe something else.</p><p>“It’ll be okay. We’re going to found a way to help him. We just need you to stay with us, right now, Taehyun.” Beomgyu said softly. Taehyun blinked at the vampire’s words. He instinctively interlaced their fingers before sighing then he nodded.</p><p>“You’re right. Thank you.” He muttered at the blond who squeezed his hand softly.</p><p>He cleared his throat and started to focus on finding a solution.</p><p>“To be honest I have two people in mind. His cello teacher. She was with him since he was young and always was nice to him. The problem is that Soobin had told me that she barely interacted with his parents. So she maybe wouldn’t realize or believe the extent of his mother’s action.” He explained.</p><p>“Then who’s the second person?”</p><p>“Our church’s youth group supervisor. Seokjin hyung. He always had a soft spot for Soobin and always made sure to make him do things that he was comfortable with. He also interacted with Yina-ssi more than his cello teacher. Seokjin hyung is really perceptive with all of us, really and I always had a feeling that he knew what was up in Soobin’s household but never wanted to intervene. Still, I think he would believe us and would try to help us.”</p><p>The vampires nodded, “Okay this is good, then. We have someone older that can help us. But we still have to find a real plan. The police can’t be involved. Not until we have real proof that Soobin’s mother has been abusive towards him, and not just now, but for years.” Beomgyu exclaimed. He was right. Even if Soobin was injured right now, Yina could lie about all of it and since she had a real grasp on her whole family, they maybe wouldn’t tell the truth about it.</p><p>“I have proof on my phone.I have text messages of Soobin explaining what she did to him for the last year since he presented and even before that. I also have pictures of the few times that he ended up injuring himself because of her or of bullies and her lack of care for it. Soobin hated to have reminders of it but I still kept it all on my phone and computer. I just knew that it would come in handy one day,” Taehyun said while holding his phone, his other hand still occupied with Beomgyu’s that was drawing pattern on the back of it.</p><p>“That’s good. It’s going to be so helpful.” Yeonjun said with a lighter tone. There was maybe hope.</p><p>“We could also have witnesses.” Beomgyu suggested.</p><p>“Yeah. We have you Taehyun, but maybe also your sister and parents. Were they aware of something going on?”</p><p>“Well, Soobin was making sure to act as if everything was okay in front of them. He also made me promise multiple times to not say anything, so they don’t know about details. They’re not clueless though, they know that Soobin’s household is really uptight and overall an unhappy place for a child to grow up. They said it several times to me.”</p><p>Beomgyu frowned, “What about Chaeryeong noona?”</p><p>“She may be a good witness for the bullies and lack of treatment of injuries from his parents... other than that she didn’t want to meddle. She took care of him the best way she could.” Taehyun explained.</p><p>The vampires nodded in understanding, “Okay then,” Yeonjun sighed, “it’s still enough to talk about it with Seokjin-ssi. Do you think that we can do it today?”</p><p>Taehyun gnawed at his lower lip while thinking, “Hum. I think that he’s talking care of our church’s youth group activity on Sundays... all day too,” he sighed defeated. Even a simple day would be too much for Soobin. They had to act fast.</p><p>“Well, do you know what his full name is? I can ask Hyukah to give us informations about him, like his address and we can go visit him tonight, when he’ll be done with his activities.” Beomgyu squeezed his hand again as he presented the solution. Taehyun nodded and sighed again, this time in relief. That could work out.</p><p>“Yeah, his last name is Kim. But are you sure that your friend can help us?”</p><p>Beomgyu and Yeonjun looked at each other knowingly before turning back at the worried beta.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re sure.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So, do I want to know why you want those informations about a random beta on a Sunday at 11 in the morning?” Kai said while he typed the name on his father’s computer.</p><p>They had decided to go visit Huening Kai because the younger didn’t answer his phone. They took a cab to the hotel not to waste time and Beomgyu got them to the Kai's mansion in the depth of the hotel property. Kai was surprised to see them but at the same time not that much, because apparently Beomgyu hung out there a lot when he felt lonely on Sundays. Taehyun ignored the spike of jealousy that took him to focus on the delicate situation that they were dealing with.</p><p>“My best friend is potentially in danger, and Seokjin hyung is our token adult that will make us believable to the eyes of the police.” Taehyun explained while looking at the decoration inside of the big study. He was pretty sure that they weren’t allowed to be in this study but apparently Kai and Beomgyu used to spend a lot of time there to play Video Games, before Kai bought his own gaming system for his room.</p><p>(Again, Taehyun ignored the ugly green feeling.)</p><p> “Oh, right. Beomie hyung explained that your best friend and you weren’t on speaking terms because of his mother. I presume that things took a bad turn,” Kai muttered, his voice taking a weird lilt. Taehyun stared at the younger, eyes narrowing instantly. Who was this guy anyways? Talking about Soobin’s home situation like it’s a joke or something.</p><p>“Forgetting the fact that you talked about Soobin’s home situation to other people without mentioning it to me when I said that to you in private, Beomgyu,” Taehyun pointedly stared at the vampire while scowling, “Could you please avoid to talk about this situation like it’s a soap opera or something? We’re talking about someone who’s being abuse here!” Taehyun spat at the human.</p><p>Huening Kai blinked at the beta, expression still quite unreadable, but still stoic as if he wasn’t affected by Taehyun’s anger at all. He then looked at Beomgyu who winced for some reason.</p><p>“Taehyun, he’s not invalidating the situation. He’s just unaware of the gravity of it all, that’s all.” Beomgyu tried to calm things down. Yeonjun wasn’t intervening at all, eyes focused on the computer screen to jot down on a paper informations.</p><p>Taehyun scoffed at the vampire, “Well, it’s not a reason to talk about it like that. He met Soobin, he knows—“</p><p>“I’m sorry if you think that I don’t feel for Soobin hyung. I really do, but I was just stating what I was thinking. I can only imagine how stressed and sad you must be by all of it. But please don’t push your frustration on me, I’m only trying to help you.” Kai said so calmly. Taehyun’s mind was in jumbles. Between getting madder and letting it go. The human was talking to him like he was a child.</p><p>He was about to go for the first option, mouth opened to fire up when his sight was suddenly filled with Beomgyu. The vampire put his hands on his arms, holding him firmly.</p><p>“Now is not the time to butt heads with him. We’re doing everything we can. Just don’t get into your head, Taehyunnie. Please.” Beomgyu pleaded softly. Taehyun’s words died down when he heard the nickname. Beomgyu barely called him that, except when they talked on the phone late at night and they were barely awake anymore. His anger deflated in a second. He nodded silently and Beomgyu answered him with a small smile that just made Taehyun’s heart do inappropriate things in the situation they were in, right now. Beomgyu just had this effect on him.</p><p>He heard a throat clear to see Yeonjun and Huening Kai looking at them sternly. Beomgyu awkwardly removed his hands from Taehyun but still stayed close to him.</p><p>“So, now that this.. soap opera is done, I have Seokjin’s address. He lives near my house so Beomgyu, we can wait at my house while waiting.” Yeonjun explained, before hesitating, “Taehyun... I would love to have you but my parents aren’t the most open to wolves...”</p><p>Taehyun nodded in understanding, “Oh, no problem. I mean mine got around the idea of vampires in my life less than a month ago. I understand. I’ll just go home and we can meet at Seokjin’s house by 8PM. I know that the church activities finish at 7:30PM.”</p><p>“But you live so far away from here. You’re going to waste your whole day.” Beomgyu pointed out.</p><p>“Don’t worry, I have my homework with me, I’ll do it on the bus.” Taehyun shrugged him off.</p><p>“Or you can just stay here. I’ll have my chauffeur take you there by 7PM, it’s no problem.” Huening Kai said nonchalantly. Taehyun raised a single eyebrow at the suggestion. They didn’t exactly got along up until now so he didn’t really understand the nice proposition, all the sudden.</p><p>“Huh, no, I don’t—“</p><p>“Taehyun can I talk to you for a second?” Beomgyu asked, cutting him off.</p><p>Taehyun blinked at the demand but still nodded, following the vampire outside of the study, while Yeonjun and Kai started talking about Yeonjun’s state.</p><p>Once Taehyun closed the door he turned around to find Beomgyu a little too close to him.</p><p>“What did you want to talk about?” He said, trying to act like the proximity didn’t faze him.</p><p>“Listen... I know that we never talked about it explicitly, but I just wanted to tell you that... I kind of have feelings for you.” Beomgyu said hesitantly, cheeks getting more and more yellow.</p><p>Taehyun’s eyes widened, feeling his own face heat up. He didn’t expect that, at all.</p><p>“And I feel like you like me, too.” He proceeded. Then he took the beta’s hand before saying in a whisper, “Actually I know that you like me because you’re blushing just as much as I am, right now.”</p><p>“Wh— Why are you telling me this now?” Taehyun stuttered out, while interlacing their fingers. It just felt natural at this point. Beomgyu’s face lightened up when he noticed that Taehyun was responding well.</p><p>“I’m saying this because first, watching Yeonjun being so upset about all of this made me realize that we’re so lucky to be in a place where our family would be okay with us. And I feel like we just match so well despite us butting head occasionally... and I don’t want to wait to tell you that I think you’re so strong and so, <em>so</em> amazing. And that I’ll be there for you through all of this situation.” Beomgyu was smiling so softly and Taehyun couldn’t stop his own small smile from peeking out.</p><p>His head was in even more jumbles because a big part of his mind was still thinking so much about his worry for Soobin, but Beomgyu just conquered all of the room in his heart at the moment.</p><p>“Thank you. Although I feel like this could have still waited a little bit... It means a lot. All of it, actually. You don’t know Soobin that well but you’re still <em>so</em> implicated in this. You’ve been the best support, that I never knew I needed, when Soobin and I couldn’t talk. I just.... I really like you, too, Beomgyu.”</p><p>They were both smiling shyly at each other. They had more to say but they knew that now was not the moment. Still, knowing that Taehyun could fully count on Beomgyu in more ways than what he had anticipated felt good.</p><p>“I know that this is the worst time ever but I’m glad that we settled this.” Beomgyu said seriously even though he still had that beautiful smile of his on, before softly pecking the beta on his cheek. Taehyun couldn’t fight the blush from spreading all over his face. He smiled before nodding, he felt the same.</p><p>“Yeah me too.” They held both hands and smiled in silence.</p><p> </p><p>“So, maybe. Could you be nicer to Hyukah?” Beomgyu said with a small voice.</p><p>Taehyun pulled away from their close distance to look at him in doubt.</p><p>Beomgyu looked at him sheepishly, “I know that he can be blunt, but Yeonjun and I are the only people our age he interacted with in his entire life since he’s homeschooled. He’s just like this all the time, and has a hard time to answer to the social cues.”</p><p>“What he said was still quite...” Taehyun didn’t have the words to say it without being rude.</p><p>“I know,” Beomgyu almost whined childishly, “but, Taehyunnie. He’s one of my best friend’s and trust me, if he truly didn’t care about you he wouldn’t have apologized to you for the comment nok would he have suggested you staying in his house. He’s trying... can’t you try, too?”</p><p>Taehyun pouted at little bit, “I don’t even understand why he’s trying though....”</p><p>“Because I talked to him about you. Several times. And he knows that... you matter to me.” He muttered in embarrassment, eyes avoiding Taehyun’s full of affection. “So please try to get along with him? For me?” He asked with puppy eyes.</p><p>Well. Taehyun could barely resist the ‘Taehyunnie’ anyways, “Okay,” he agreed in faux reluctance, “But I’m not holding back if he pisses me off.” He warned Beomgyu. Beomgyu nodded hastily.</p><p>“Thank you. It means a lot.”</p><p>“Okay. Now let’s go back. We have a plan to prepare.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Taehyun had ended up getting along well with Kai. After they finished briefing the human about the whole situation and that the vampires left the human’s house, they were alone. At first it had been awkward. Taehyun was doing his homework while Kai was browsing on his computer. Two hours later they had barely exchanged few words. But when Taehyun was done, he actually tried to speak to him.</p><p>Kai was... special but he had some kind of weird cuteness to him. He was also a great listener, so he really helped Taehyun clear his mind about his worries for Soobin. The human empathized without being over optimistic. He was down to earth in a way that Taehyun appreciated.</p><p>They had ended up being quite comfortable with each other. Taehyun had even added him to their group chat, to Beomgyu’s delight.</p><p> </p><p>Now they were in the car to bring him to Seokjin’s home. They were speaking occasionally but Taehyun was so nervous about the adults reaction that Kai wasn’t blaming him.</p><p>Yeonjun and Beomgyu had left his house ten minutes ago and they would meet a block before Seokjin’s house, just not to be suspicious.</p><p> </p><p>Once they arrived, the vampires were already there. Taehyun inhaled and exhaled before exiting the car, after thanking the chauffeur for driving them there.</p><p>Kai decided to tag along because after hearing more about Soobin’s life story, he wanted to help him the best way he could. Taehyun appreciated that a lot.</p><p>“I saw a car near Seokjin-ssi’s house so I think he’s there, now.” Yeonjun said when the two youngest walked to them. “Do you have all the proofs ready to be shown?”</p><p>“Yes,” Taehyun shown his phone, “Okay, then. Let’s go.” He said before walking to the small yellow-roofed suburban house.</p><p>They approached the house until they were all standing in front of the door. They all hesitated to knock. Their nerves were getting the best of them, but soon enough Kai knocked, sick of waiting for them to act. They were grateful for his presence at that moment.</p><p>Few seconds later they heard paces and suddenly the door opened, showing short wolf - a beta - with blond hair and plump lips looking at them.</p><p>“Hello?” The beta said in question, “Can I help you, boys?”</p><p>“Hum. We’re looking for Kim Seokjin hyung?” Taehyun said hesitantly. He didn’t known why he was so nervous. Maybe it was because his best friend’s life was at stake here. Maybe because he was afraid that Choi Yina would win.</p><p>The beta perked up and smiled at the boys, “I’ll go get him. And you are?”</p><p>“Just say that it’s Kang Taehyun, from church.”</p><p>The beta nodded with a small smile and walked back inside the house.</p><p>The boys stayed put while waiting, nobody daring to say anything.</p><p>They heard more steps until Seokjin arrived with a big, although tired smile.</p><p>“Kang Taehyun and... Sorry, I’ve never met you guys.” The alpha greeted them with a warm smile but tired.</p><p>“Those are my friends,” Taehyun said. And after introducing them each he sighed and asked if they could come in because they had something serious to talk about.</p><p>Seokjin’s smile fell instantly and ushered them inside just as soon.</p><p> </p><p>Once they were set in the alpha’s living room, all of them getting shyer to the idea of opening to a mere stranger, they waited for Taehyun to talk.</p><p>“So, Taehyun? What’s wrong?” Seokjin asked seriously.</p><p>“Well... First of all, know that if we’re coming to you, it’s because I feel like Soobin can and had been able to trust you for a long time. More than any other adult in here.”</p><p>“Does this have anything to do with him not being at today’s mass?” Seokjin asked worried.</p><p>All the boys nodded, “Yes. Actually Soobin has been absent at school too, this whole week. And we have reason to believe that something is wrong at his house. That his parents locked him up in his house and that he’s in an abusive home.” Yeonjun spoke out. Seokjin looked at him and nodded slowly, to process the informations.</p><p>“What do you think that? His mother said that he was sick.”</p><p>“Because, hyung, he has never missed a day of school ever, except when he was in heat and I know that it’s not his time of the year, yet.” Taehyun explained, “His mother also said that he had the flu all week but when I talked to Jina this week and asked her if Soobin was okay, she had said yes without mentioning any flu...”</p><p>“Still, that’s a big allegation that you’re throwing here, boys.”</p><p>“Hyung, I know that you’ve had your suspicions for a while now. I know that you noticed how Soobin has been, all of his life. He was always frowning, always had bruises in random places that would normally fade right away if they were taken care of properly. He would lose wight in short amount of time. He would be overly discreet and had problem speaking out. He was overall trying to fade. That in itself is a big tell on people who live in homes where parents don’t let their children express their feelings.”</p><p>“But if you don’t believe us, Taehyun has also actual proofs that Soobin has endured years of abuse coming from his mother mostly.” Beomgyu continued. Taehyun nodded and pulled out his phone to show the gallery.</p><p>There was hundreds of screenshots of he and Soobin’s discussions since Soobin got his phone. Of Soobin complaining about his mother’s verbal abuse. Of her locking him up. Not letting him eat. Of how it affected him. How it destroyed his self image and mental health. Then he showed pictures of bruises that weren’t healed right. Pictures took at weeks intervals to show how slow the recovery process was for some of them, simply because no one at home made sure to check if he was actually okay.</p><p>While Seokjin looked at the horrifying evidence, the beta - Jimin was his name - served the boys something to drink, reading the tense atmosphere of the room.</p><p> </p><p>After the alpha looked at most of the evidence his eyes were full if shock and anger, “I can’t believe that Yina-ssi would do something like that. I mean, I had my doubt. You can just tell when a child is unhappy, you know. But to that extent?! I’m surprised that Soobin still had the mental strength to be even be here, right now.” Seokjin spat in the air. All the boys were looking at him with their shoulders less tense. They were just happy that he believed them.</p><p>“Yes. That’s why we have to do something. At first we thought of going to his home and call the police. But we were just scared that his mother would cover things up or that the police wouldn’t believe us.”</p><p>“That’s where I come in play?” Seokjin said in understanding.</p><p>Taehyun nodded, “We need an adult to lead things and gained credibility. You know Soobin well. You take care of kids and teens. You’re the best person to help us, because people in our community trust you with their kids everyday.”</p><p>“Well you asked for my help, you have it.” Seokjin said firmly. Smiles of relief etched on each boys’ face. There really was hope.</p><p>“So, What can we do?” The alpha said, determinate.</p><p>Taehyun could almost cry.</p><p> </p><p>They were going to save him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There’s hope....<br/>Or is there???</p><p>Oh also, tell me what you thought.<br/>Imma be honest, this story took a course I hadn’t anticipated. I mean I was in it for the forbidden love trope when i first started writing this.... but here we are. I like what i did with this and I know that I will do Yeonbin justice later</p><p>I hope you still like it, though! Please tell me what you think 💕💕💕</p><p>PS: i hurt my arm while writing about the injury part, how ironic. Now my arm is swollen and im home alone for the week and im too scared to go to a pharmacy because of the virus lmao<br/>My life is a mess</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. I Know Someday I’ll Make It Out Of There (Lovely)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m back as a celebration for this phenomenal comeback!</p><p>THEY KILLED ME GUYS, I AM DECEASED. YOURE TALKING TO A GHOST</p><p>more seriously enjoy this long ass chapter and happy comeback Moas!</p><p>PS: my arm is better, thank you for your lovely messages and comments 💕💕💕</p><p>TW// VIOLENCE<br/>TW// homophobic language</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Soobin was feeling weak.</p><p>His head hurt for the last few days and he didn’t know if it was because of stress or because of the way his head banged against his bed the week before.</p><p>It had been more than a week since he was locked in his room. Stuck between his four bare bedroom walls. With no distraction except his school books.</p><p> </p><p>His mother had came in his room that day when he woke up, with a satisfied smile.</p><p>“I reckon you got my note.” She had said with an almost evil smile, “So now you know that you’re not allowed to get out until further notice.”</p><p>Soobin was in bed, still tired and when she approached him, like an evil dark spirit looming over him. He could see his father by the door screen looking at them with a frowning and worried face.</p><p>“Dad, please do something.” Soobin whimpered, “My head hurt and I think I broke my rib,” he touched at his side. It had hurt ever since he had woken up.</p><p>His father looked so conflicted, to the point that Soobin believed that he would actually do something about it. But one glance at his wife was enough to make him gulp and turn around to leave.</p><p>She looked back at Soobin with an even bigger smirk, “You think that you can just give him puppy eyes and he’ll budge? You really are stupid, Soobin.” She snickered at him.</p><p>“Mother, I just want... I just want to have my injuries treated. It hurts so bad, I— Ah!” His mother pressed her hand against his rib, sending spark of pain all through his body. He folded himself to get away from her but she held his face to make him look at you.</p><p>“Until you stop being a manipulative brat, you’ll stay here. If you think that I’ll let you go out <em>ever</em> again, you’re fooling yourself. You probably put out with Taehyun and this... creature...” she spat the word, her glare getting harder at the thought of Yeonjun.</p><p>“But <em>no</em> son of mine will be a faggot. You’re a disgrace to this family, to this community and to God. You’re a worthless piece of nothing. And I’ll make sure that you stay nothing.” She hissed at him. Soobin had his eyes closed to not look at her, blocking her from his reality before her words got into his head.</p><p> </p><p>Then, she got out of his room just to come back and throw up a bottle of water and some bread, “You don’t even deserve to eat... but thank your father and siblings. They convinced me to give you something.”</p><p>Soobin sobbed and stayed in a fœtal position, not handling the pain he felt outside and inside.</p><p>She scoffed at him and muttered a ‘pathetic’ before exiting the room, locking it before leaving the hallway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That was six days ago. Since then, he had barely eaten anything. She was the only one allowed to come into his room. She changed his bandage once but because he was sobbing too much because of the pain, she had left the bandages and scissors in his room to let him do it alone. Other than that she came in twice a day, once to make sure that he was awake and actually studying, because she expected to take this time to reflect on his behavior and to study. The second time was to give him measly meals for him not to pass out from hunger, and to scold him. Each night she would find something else to insult him with.</p><p>His wolf voice had talked to him four times in the span of this week. It was the most that it had ever talked to him in such a short span of time. Just because he would consider doing bad things to himself several times. Then, the voice would tell him not to do it and hold on.</p><p>It was frankly the only thing keeping him sane.</p><p> </p><p>That and the locket.</p><p> </p><p>Still, It was emotionally and mentally <em>draining</em> to be in this situation. His mother would get into his head in the worst ways and make him feel like he deserved to be there.</p><p>He was still in pain from his rib and head, even if he tried to be careful with the bandage. He knew that his rib was broken and that probably he needed pain killers but she wouldn’t even let him have aspirin.</p><p> </p><p>He was hyper aware of the noises in the house because he was waiting.</p><p>For something.</p><p>For <em>someone</em>.</p><p>Each time that he would hear someone passing his door he would try to call for help. But he felt like only his mother was allowed to go near his door.</p><p>On the third day of him being locked up, he had woken up because he he had heard knocks in the middle of the night. It was his baby brother asking him if he was okay. Soobin had crawled to the door to talk to him.</p><p> </p><p>(“I’m fine, Hyunbin. I’m injured but it’ll pass,” Soobin whispered, suppressing a wince when he moved in a way that activated shocks of pain on his rib. “How are you guys, though? Did she do anything to you?”</p><p>“She’s really pissed... She threatened to do the same thing to us if we said anything about you. We’re scared, hyung...” Hyunbin whispered back, voice cracking as if he was about to cry. Soobin immediately passed the tip of his fingers under the door to get some comfort to his baby brother. The younger caught on and hooked his own fingers the best way he could.</p><p>Soobin tried to hold back his tears, too. But it felt hopeless. He knew that his father would never dare saying anything either. He was stuck.</p><p>“I don’t know what to do to help you. Jina, either... Taehyun hyung asked her about you and  she didn’t know what to say. She thinks that he has suspicions about everything and—“</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Another voice said. Soobin froze. Dread took him as he recognized a women’s voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Mother will hear you! Go back to bed before we get caught!” His shoulder sagged as he recognized his sister’s voice.</p><p>Hyunbin interjected, “But—“</p><p>“She’s right, Hyunbin. Go back before you makethings worse for you...” Soobin said in defeat.</p><p>Silence followed, and then he heard a sigh, “Alright, then. I— I’m so sorry, hyung.”</p><p>Soobin sniffed, “It’s okay. Please stay safe, you two.” He said to the two siblings. He heard vague okay’s before more noise of quick shuffling.</p><p>Soobin stayed against his door to cry for another hour before going back to bed.)</p><p> </p><p>It felt hopeless, but somehow he trusted Taehyun. He hoped that the younger would caught on his absence and try to reach to him.</p><p>It was his only hope at this point.</p><p> </p><p>He was also quite worried because his heat could come at any moment in the next weeks. And he didn’t know if his weak body could handle it. He could barely walk without stopping to catch his breath because of the pain, he knew that he wouldn’t handle a heat alone. He wouldn’t be able to walk alone to the bathroom to take baths. The fever would be scorching and he usually squirmed a lot during his heats because of the feeling of arousal, he would never be able to support the pain of his ribs with all of this squirming.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t want to get his hopes up even though it was inevitable, but he wished that Taehyun would get here as soon as possible.</p><p>He had heard his mother grumbling about it after they had come from church. She had entered his room on Sunday after the church service. Complained about the fact that she had to lie about his whereabouts, that he had embarrassed her and that he had forced her to sin inside the Lord’s house by lying. Soobin just looked at her without reacting, because he had come to realize that it was the best way to make her leave quicker than when he cried or answered.</p><p>While she was screaming she mentioned Taehyun being here and even though she hadn’t said anything else, he knew that it meant that Taehyun had truly noticed his absence.</p><p>Taehyun had stopped going to church the weeks before and if he was there that day, it must have been for a certain reason. Hopefully to look for Soobin and notice his absence.</p><p> </p><p>That hopeful voice in his mind was really pushed by his wolf conscience. If it wasn’t for it, Soobin would have already given up.</p><p> </p><p>He held on the locket for comfort when he felt really down.</p><p>He spent his days opening it and closing it. It was the only object of meaning that his mother hadn’t took from him. He had kept the orange glitter preciously inside it, being careful not to spill it on accident.</p><p>Yeonjun came to his mind a lot during those few days being sequestered.</p><p>Soobin just hoped that the vampire hadn’t been too mad at him for his over reacting.</p><p>Staying locked up gave him time to think when he wasn’t having small anxiety attacks, or overthinking about his mother’s words. He was supposed to study but naturally he couldn’t focus on his homework when he didn’t know when he’ll get out, or if his mother will feed him that day or not.</p><p>While thinking he had came to the conclusion that he didn’t deserve Yeonjun. The vampire had been nothing but nice to him and when Soobin confessed, told him about his feelings even though he shouldn’t have, Yeonjun had still been nice in the way that he rejected him. He had even lied about the fact that he liked Soobin.</p><p>There was a moment where Soobin would have believed that Yeonjun liked him. The orange glitter made him feel like maybe Yeonjun liked him. But then he would remember who he was.</p><p>Nothing. He was nothing.</p><p>He would never be able to be enough to someone like Yeonjun. It was impossible that such an amazing soul would like Soobin.</p><p>An ugly part of him believed that Yeonjun had only let him down nicely because he needed his blood.</p><p>Speaking of blood, Soobin felt <em>horrible</em> about the fact that Yeonjun would suffer of his absence like that. Because of him, he would get hurt badly and probably die of his disease.</p><p>It was all of his fault.</p><p>He knew that his mother was cruel in many ways, and he knew that he didn’t deserve to be locked up injured, but she was right about one thing. If it wasn’t for him, his shy personality, his second gender, his weakness, none of that would have happened.</p><p>
  <em>It was all his fault.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He was lying on his bed, back against the head board and his window, looking at the clouds passing in the sky in daze. The sky was already dark but he could see the moon from his window so, at night, he would fiddle with the locket hile looking at the sky. It made him feel like he was outside.</p><p>His mother had came into his room earlier to give him bread. He had ate half of it and rationalized the rest for the next morning.</p><p> </p><p>That’s when he heard sirens.</p><p>Police sirens.</p><p>He felt chills running through his body as he saw the red and blue lights lightening up his room periodically.</p><p>He looked from his window to see what was happening and his heat jumped when he saw Taehyun and Yeonjun coming out of a police car along with police officers.</p><p> </p><p>They were there.</p><p> </p><p><em>They had came for him</em>.</p><p> </p><p>His window was locked and couldn’t be opened, he tapped on it to call for them.</p><p> </p><p>“Taehyun! Yeonjun!!!” He screamed for them, tapping the window - as hard as he could when every move would hurt him - but the noise outside was too loud for him to be heard.</p><p>He ran his fingers through his hair, as he moved out of the bed.</p><p>They were here.</p><p>It was his only chance to get out.</p><p>He heard the doorbell ring and stopped breathing. He looked at his bedroom door before limping to it and sticking his ear to it.</p><p>He heard vague, “Hello officer,” and “Seokjin? What is this about?” from his mother and father.</p><p>Seokjin? What was he doing here?</p><p>The officer answered but they weren’t talking loud enough.</p><p>“Help me!” He screamed, “They’re holding me captive here!”</p><p>He stuck his ear again to see if he had been heard but he could still hear them talking downstairs.</p><p>He had forgotten that his door was soundproof. His mother had put some kind of band on the floor to make it completely sound proof from outside, a day ago. He could hear people but they couldn’t hear him. He sighed and bumped his forehead against the door.</p><p>The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> people </span>downstairs wouldn’t hear him.</p><p>He was about to go back to the window and try his luck again when he heard his door rumble. Someone was trying to come in.</p><p>“It’s locked,” he shouted through the door.</p><p>“Oppa, the police is here! We’re getting you out of there, this is your only chance!” He heard Jina talk through the door. She wasn’t talking loud, surely on purpose to not get caught by their mother. Then he heard a door closing. It was the front door.</p><p>The jiggling of his doorknob stopped immediately and then he heard fast paces outside before another door, closer this time shut. Jina had probably ran back to her room to hide.</p><p>He cleared away from his door in dread, and ran to his window. The police car was still there and his friends and Seokjin were waiting from outside. He saw the police officer that was most likely speaking with his parents earlier walking back to the car to talk to them. Seokjin looked mad and was arguing with the other officer.</p><p>“Taehyun!” He screamed as loud as he could, “Yeonjun! Help me!” He cried out but they just couldn’t <em>hear</em> him.</p><p>He cried harder, screaming incessantly. Until he heard his door opening and the the light in his room shut down.</p><p>He turned around to see his mother walking to him with a face full of rage.</p><p>“What are you trying to do, huh?!” She screeched as she pulled him away from the window by the hair. He yelped in pain, but held on tight to his bed’s head board. He wasn’t going to give up on his only chance to get out.</p><p>“Stop fighting back!” She demanded as she slapped him. But Soobin refused. He took her by the arm and pushed her away forcefully. He was quite weak from undernourishment and his side hurt so bad but he was still strong enough to fight back.</p><p>“No! Seokjin! Tae— Taehyun!” He saw the officers going back inside the police car with uncertainty. He didn’t know what his mother had told them but he knew that they wouldn’t show up again. He saw his friends still looking at the house in worry but none of them were looking at the window. The light was off, too, so it didn’t attract attention. He hit the window with his hands as hard as he could, screaming for their names.</p><p>“Guys! Help, Please!”</p><p>Suddenly, hot searing pain took him as his mother grabbed his injured side to throw him on the side of the room.</p><p>His head hit the floor at the action. He coughed harshly and tried to get up.</p><p>His mother approached him, half her silhouette blending with the darkness in the room, the other one lit up by the red and blue light of the police beacon.</p><p>“You thought you could <em>escape me? </em>” She sneered at him, “You thought that you would escape your responsibility as my son?! You’re truly a <em>disappointment</em>, Soobin.”</p><p>Soobin was coughing so hard, until he realized that he was coughing blood.</p><p>“You’re so pathetic.” She said in an icy tone.</p><p>He looked at her, her face blurring because of the tears in his eyes. She looked crazy, like she had lost her last bit of patience.</p><p>“Help!” He still screamed. He couldn’t give up. No matter how frightened he was. He wouldn’t give up.</p><p>“You think they’ll hear you?” She snickered. “Your little friends won’t be there to save you anymore, you <em>useless </em>and weak omega.” He sobbed at her words.</p><p>He regained his breath and looked at her, and at the window. He had to get to his window.</p><p>“Move a muscle and I’ll end you.” She read his mind. He kept his eyes on him.</p><p>“No one will help you, you filth. No—“</p><p> </p><p>He heard a sudden scream interrupting her. He looked at his brother pushing his mother away violently from Soobin.</p><p>“What are you doing, Hyunbin?!” His mother yelped, but his brother didn’t answer and pushed her again until she fell against the closet. He walked to Soobin.</p><p>“Are you okay, hyung?” He asked in worry.</p><p>“Yeah... We— We just have to get out of here, Hyunbin. Where’s Jina?!” Soobin asked frantically as he took his brother’s arm to get up.</p><p>“She’s locking dad in the bathroom.” Soobin’s eyes widened as they walked to his window, “We had to, he’s useless. He was going to let you here when the police and Seokjin hyung asked about you!”</p><p>Soobin gulped and nodded, “Okay, we need to call for help. My friends are outside, we need to have the get their attention- <em>Hyunbin! Watch o</em>—“</p><p>Soobin’s words were interrupted by his mother jumping on his baby brother. The alpha tried to push her away but she had her manicured hands scratching his face. Soobin gasped when they fell on the floor.</p><p>He had to do something, before Hyunbin got injured too.</p><p>“Help!” He screamed at the window, but once again, no one heard him.</p><p>That’s when he saw the bedside lamp. The big, metal lamp.</p><p>He immediately look the lamp and with all of the strength he could muster, threw it against the window.</p><p>The window broke at the impact.</p><p>Quickly he screamed on the top of his lungs, “Help! Taehyun! Yeonjun!”</p><p>All the boys and the police officers looked his way at the same time.</p><p>“Soobin!” Yeonjun screamed. They all ran to the house. The police officers moved immediately.</p><p>He looked back inside to see his brother on his mother, fighting back her claws. He wanted to help but he could barely sit up against his bed. She wasn’t strong enough to fight back his brother’s strength.</p><p>“Hyunbin! Let me go, you ungrateful brat!” The younger was holding her by the wrists, and she couldn’t move anymore.</p><p>“<em>You’re done terrorizing us!</em>” Hyunbin screamed in the loudest voice Soobin had ever heard coming from him.</p><p> </p><p>Few seconds later, a heap of people rushed inside the room. “Police! Freeze!” someone screamed.</p><p> </p><p>In a millisecond, he was surrounded by people. Yeonjun, Taehyun, Beomgyu and Kai were around him.</p><p>“<em>Oh my god, Soobin</em>!” Taehyun cried out as he looked at him with so much worry.</p><p>“The ambulance is coming!” Yeonjun exclaimed, taking the omega’s hands. Oh, how it felt good to hold his hand after all of this.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin was just so relieved and tired. His whole body hurt.</p><p>He looked at his mother getting handled by the police officer, hands in cuffs. He looked at his sister fussing about his brother who was, fortunately, conscious.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me go!” His mother screamed, “it’s all of his damn fault!” she spat as she glared at Soobin, “I should have killed you when you were younger!” She said before the officer exited the room.</p><p>The second police officer and Seokjin ran inside and got by his side seconds.</p><p>“You’re losing a lot of blood but an ambulance is on its way. She’ll never get to approach any of you, Soobin.” Seokjin said as he did something on his side but Soobin was barely awake. He could barely hear him.</p><p> </p><p>His mother had been taken.</p><p>He looked at Yeonjun and Taehyun who were both sobbing by his side.</p><p>“Am I safe, now?” He asked feebly.</p><p>Yeonjun cried harder, “You are, Soobin. She’s gone, now.”</p><p>Soobin nodded.</p><p>“Good.” He said.</p><p>That was all he said before he passed out.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>His head was pounding.</p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin winced at the pain. He tried to move but his whole body was either in pain or couldn’t move. He felt the tiredness weight on his body and his mind.</p><p>All he could see was darkness, and when he tried to open his eyes, they were also too heavy.</p><p>“Shit! Doctor Kim?!” He heard a voice say.</p><p>He tried again, until he was able to blink his eyes open. The artificial light blinded his sight for few seconds.</p><p>He heard a door sliding open before he felt someone coming closer, “Soobin-ssi? Can you hear me?”</p><p>Soobin tried to talk but he was too weak for it, so he just groaned. He then realized that he had an oxygen mask on. His eyes were adjusting to all the light, until he was able to discern shapes.</p><p>“I’m doctor Kim. You’re in the hospital, right now.” The person explained.</p><p>He waited until his sight came back fully and painfully turned his head to the side to see a tall human looking at him. He was smiling at him, and his dimples reminded him of his own.</p><p>“You must feel weak, right now. It’s normal. You came here with a lot of injuries and you lost a lot of blood. You’ve been sleeping for a week now. Right now, you’re under a lot of painkillers, so you must feel a little drowsy. Do you understand me? Nod your head for yes, and shake it for no.” The doctor talked to him patiently. Soobin nodded and his eyes swayed around the room. The room was quite bland. It reminded him a little of his own room.</p><p>His eyes widened as he remembered what had happened. His mother. Their fight. Her locking him up. Until the police arrived.</p><p>“Do you remember what happened to you?” The doctor asked carefully.</p><p> </p><p>Where were his siblings? What had happened to his mother?</p><p> </p><p>He tried to move around, but the nurse next to him pushed him back. “Soobin calm down, please. You are safe. Everyone is safe. Your brother got treated for his injuries but it was all superficial. Your sister is also fine. They’re currently staying at your friend’s house.” Doctor Kim informed him. Soobin rested in relief, focusing on his breathing through the machine.</p><p>They were safe.</p><p>“Now, you need to focus on resting. Everyone is fine. They’ve been visiting you every day for the last week. They left an hour ago, though. We’ll inform your friend’s parents that you are awake. You’ll see them tomorrow, okay?” The nurse said. The doctor nodded to confirm.</p><p>Soobin’s eyes switched from the male nurse to the doctor. Reluctantly, he nodded.</p><p> </p><p>They were finally <em>safe</em>.</p><p> </p><p>He waited for the nurse to finish doing his thing. He was nice, and gentle with Soobin.</p><p>Once, he was done Soobin was already tired again. He moved his arm carefully to stretch his fingers, making sure not to move the IV. While moving Soobin noticed the locket around his neck.</p><p>He blinked at the red locket and took in his hand. He carefully looked at it before opening it. There was more glitter inside than before.</p><p>He couldn’t smile properly because of the mask but it still felt warmness invading him.</p><p>He fell asleep with his mind a little lighten for the first time in months.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Beomgyu! Don’t touch this!”</p><p>“I was just looking at it!”</p><p>“Okay, well, look at it from here!”</p><p>Soobin scrunched his nose at the noise. He still felt weak but his tiredness was weighting way less on his bones. He moved his hand but felt something in it.</p><p>“Soobin?”</p><p>The noise in the room stopped immediately. His eyes were still close but he felt people shuffling around him. He moved his hand more until he felt a softness interlacing his fingers. He groaned.</p><p>“Oh, God. He’s waking up.” Someone said. Few seconds after he recognized the voice as his best friend’s.</p><p>That pushed him to actually open his eyes. He blinked his eyes opened, until it adjusted to the light.</p><p>He blinked until his vision was clear and found six figures hovering over him. He flinched when he noticed all the eyes on him.</p><p>“Move away, guys. He needs space,” Taehyun said. Soobin looked at the people around do as the beta said. His eyes swayed around the room. He recognized his brother, who had bandages on his cheek and forehead and sister looking at him in worry on his right leg. On his left leg was Beomgyu and Kai, both staring at him silently with small smiles. On his right arm, next to him was Taehyun, whose eyes were looking at him in a calculating way, like they always did when he was silently checking for any sign of discomfort.</p><p>On his left was Yeonjun. He was looking at him with big golden eyes, hand holding his own tightly.</p><p>“How are you feeling? Can you talk?” Yeonjun asked softly. Soobin was still looking at all of them in silence.</p><p> </p><p>They were all here.</p><p> </p><p>In a second he couldn’t see them anymore because tears were obstructing his sight.</p><p> </p><p>They were all safe.</p><p> </p><p>“Gosh— Someone get him a tissue or something.” Taehyun said, “Are you okay? Are you crying because of any type of pain?” He asked carefully.</p><p>Soobin shook his head, crying even harder at the sound of his best friend. He had missed him so much.</p><p>His brother scrambled for the doctor just in case while Kai went to the table in the corner of the room to get a tissue.</p><p>They were all okay.</p><p>Hyunbin came back with his doctor that asked the boys and his sister to step away.</p><p>“Hi, Soobin.” The doctor smiled at him, “Are you hurt? Are you crying because of the pain?”</p><p>Soobin shook his head before sniffing and looking again around the room. He couldn’t believe that they were all safe and sound.</p><p>That his mother had been arrested.</p><p>He cried harder at that.</p><p>Yeonjun panicked a little and held their interlaced hands higher to his chest. Soobin couldn’t feel any heartbeat but the gesture was still welcomed.</p><p>The doctor did his thing, looking at his chart and vitals in the machine he was plugged to.</p><p>“You seem better than yesterday. More lucid, too. I already explained some of your injuries yesterday, but do you need another run-through?”</p><p>Soobin shook his head. He wanted to talk to his friends, “Okay then, technically I have to wait for your legal guardian to explain your situation but since this is special circumstances and that your friend’s parent agreed to take you, I’ll wait for them.” The doctor pointed at Taehyun. Soobin was still crying and Taehyun was smiling softly as he wiped the tears softly. He nodded at the instruction.</p><p>“My parents and Seokjin hyung will come in few hours to visit.” Taehyun explained to the doctor who nodded.</p><p>Soobin tried to talk but the mask was keeping him from doing it properly. He moved his right hand to put it on his mask, question in his eyes to ask the doctor if how could remove it.</p><p>“You can remove it to talk but don’t hesitate to use it as soon as you feel weak or when you have trouble to breathe. I’ll tell you more informations later, okay?” Soobin nodded again, hands removing carefully the mask.</p><p>The air from the mask was quite different from the ambiant air. He breathed in and out to get used to it before clearing his throat.</p><p>“Thank you,” he said in a meek whisper. Yeonjun immediately gave him a glass of water. Soobin accepted gratefully and sat up just a little to drink with no difficulty.</p><p>After clearing his throat again, he tried again, “Thank you, Doctor Kim.” His voice was still hoarse from misuse and probably from all the screaming he did a week ago.</p><p>The image flashed back in his mind, shivers ran through his body.</p><p>He ignored it, though.</p><p>He looked back at the people in the room.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll let you guys catch up then.” The doctor said before leaving the room.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soobin looked at best friend who was now wiping his own tears. “Hey,” he said to the crying beta, “<em>I missed you</em>.”</p><p>Taehyun cried even harder, engulfing Soobin in a big but gentle hug.</p><p>He heard chuckles in the room, but he focused on hugging his best friend back. His other hand was still holding Yeonjun’s firmly, though.</p><p>“I missed you, too, Soobin. So much. I don’t know how I did anything without you,” Taehyun sobbed in his shoulder. Soobin wheeped at the words. It just felt good to hear this after months of wondering if he really was missed and needed in Taehyun’s life. It felt good to have a confirmation.</p><p>“But now you are safe. She’s gone and she’ll never come back.” Taehyun said in his watery voice as he pulled back from the hug. Soobin took the time to breathe in his oxygen mask again before answering him. Yeonjun squeezed his hand silently, Soobin looked at him softly.</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“Well, after you passed out the ambulance got here immediately. Thank God, Seokjin hyung had already kept you from emptying from all of your blood. Those two had to get out of the room because of it,” Taehyun pointed at the two vampires that had a mix of sheepish and guilty looks on, he was still trying to keep his tears at bay while he explained. Soobin just smiled at the two vampires.</p><p>“Sorry, hyung.” Beomgyu said with an awkward smile, “I’m glad that the ambulance came fast enough, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mother got taken away by the police.” Jina explained.</p><p>Soobin looked at his fidgety siblings. He almost wished that they were the ones that had been asleep for a week. He couldn’t imagine how traumatizing it must have been for them to go through this week alone.</p><p>“The police interrogated us, a few days after. We told them everything, hyung. We made sure to not leave out a single detail. And based in that, and on your injuries... They locked mom and dad in jail.” Hyunbin said in a mix of warmness, hurt and maybe sadness. Soobin understood all of it. Things will be different from now on.</p><p>“They put dad in jail, too?” He asked them after breathing through his mask again.</p><p>“Of course. Sure, he didn’t do anything particular but he never said anything to the police and let her abusing us... You.” Jina explained. She also looked quite upset. But it just didn’t seem like it was just because of their situation.</p><p>“Hyunbin, Jina, come here.” He said. The other boys cleared the way for the two siblings. They both looked tired and stressed and Soobin felt for them. Sure, they hadn’t went through abuse the samz way that he did, but they still had to live under the impossible expectation of their mother. It wasn’t easy either.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” He asked softly. He wanted to hold their hands or anything to show some comfort but they weren’t about skinship in their family.</p><p>Hyunbin scoffed sadly, “We should ask you how you’re feeling. You’re the one on the hospital bed right now.” Jina nodded at the statement awkwardly.</p><p>“Yeah, but you’re the one that had their lives completely turned upside down on a random Monday. You’re the one who had to go through the police interrogations and that had to talk against your kin, all alone. That’s not easy either.” Soobin answered back, to make sure that their feelings were validated. He knew that Taehyun did that a lot and it made him feel better.</p><p>It worked maybe, because the two crumbled a little, Jina started tearing up and dared holding her brother’s hand. Soobin squeezed back gently.</p><p>“It just... It happened so fast... and now we’re basically orphans. Seokjin hyung talked to the social services to convinced them not to take us away and stay at Taehyun’s. But there’s not a lot of room.” Hyunbin trailed off. Soobin looked at his brother sadly. They both looked desperate.</p><p>“What are we going to do now? You’re going to leave for college next year andwe’ll be <em>alone</em>.” Jina cried quietly. Soobin immediately shook his head.</p><p>“No, no, no. I’m not leaving you guys alone. I’m probably not going to go to college next year anyways if I stay at the hospital longer than that. I’ll have too much work to catch up on.” Jina sobbed harder, “But that’s okay! <em>We’re</em> okay! I’m going to be 18 in barely a month and I’ll take care of you. I’ll get a job, or even two! I’m <em>not</em> abandoning you guys, okay?”</p><p>The mood in the room saddened. Even Soobin knew how complicated that would be. He wanted to be hopeful for his siblings, but not even three jobs would sustain them and give him time to study.</p><p>He didn’t want to ruin the mood, though. They were finally free.</p><p>“Guys, listen. I know that things seem hopeless, but quite frankly I would rather be in this situation than staying with Mother one more day. Don’t you?”</p><p>The siblings looked at each other before looking at Soobin and nodding shyly.</p><p>“As long as we’re away from her, as long as we stay together, things will be okay. That’s a promise.” Soobin said as he took his brother’s hand firmly. He meant every word of it.</p><p>He wasn’t going to let his siblings in a difficult situation. He didn’t have it in him to do so. He didn’t even want to. So, as long as he could, he would take care of them.</p><p>“You don’t need to worry about jobs, Soobin.” A voice said behind the teenagers. They cleared the way for him to see and he recognized Seokjin entering inside the room.</p><p>“Hyung? What are you doing here?” Soobin asked.</p><p>“Your amazing friends reached to me to explain your home situation. They told me everything and showed me proof.”</p><p>“I had a hunch that something was wrong when you didn’t show up for school. And when we were at church, your mother had said that you had the flu but when I talked to your sister during the week she didn’t mention any illness of the sort.”</p><p>Jina winced and looked down in guilt, “She had threatened us to do the same thing she did to you if we talked about it to anyone.” Soobin squeezed her hand again. “Don’t worry Jina. You did what you had to and I’ll never blame you for it.”</p><p>Seokjin smiled weekly at him, “Once I saw every proof the day after was spent at the police station to explain everything. It took a while because we had to have solid evidences to have them go check your mother. We arrived at your house around 9PM. When we got here she acted like she was innocent. Said that you left to the countryside to visit your aunt. When I mentioned that she had said that you had the flu, she stuttered and said that that was why you had left town in the morning. The officers were just brainwashed by her, for some reason and trusted her judgement, despite our clear proofs. It was maddening. I argued with them for a while to convince them to come back to your house and talk more with your mother but they wouldn’t budge. It was so frustrating.”</p><p>“That’s when we heard muffled screams, we tried to warn the police officers but they were too busy arguing with Seokjin hyung.” Beomgyu explained.</p><p>“Then you threw the lamp through the window and as soon as we saw you, we ran to you. We crossed your sister trying to hold the bathroom’s door down.” Yeonjun continued. Soobin looked at his sister.</p><p>She shrugged, “Father was the most manipualted of them all. If we wanted to make sure you escaped we had to take care of him. But despite locking the door he had a lot of strength and I had to put the hallway’s closet in front of the door to hold it down.”</p><p>“By that time we were already by your side, the police moved their asses, and handled your mother who was fighting against your brother. They took her immediately, but you were already quite injured.”</p><p>Yeonjun intervened shakily, “You were pale Soobin. Like pale like me. It was like life was draining out of you. It was...” he trailed off because of the lack of words. Beomgyu took care of his best friend and hugged him by the side.</p><p>“It was a lot. Like I said, thank god the ambulance came fast.” Beomgyu finished for him.</p><p> </p><p>“I spent the week to handle the situation. To show the evidence, and with the help of your friends we have enough evidence to lock her up. She’ll have a trial in several months but it’s pretty much done after the way that we found you. You’re pretty much officially free of her.” Seokjin finished.</p><p>Soobin sighed, shoulders sagging in true relief. He couldn’t believe that he was finally free from her. He actually couldn’t believe it.</p><p>“I just... It’s <em>surreal</em>.” Soobin said, eyes looking at the white ceiling in disbelief.</p><p>“I know... Take your time to process everything. You went through so much.” Seokjin said and the rest of the room nodded. He looked all of them and smiled weakly but genuinely. He was just so grateful for all of them.</p><p>“I don’t think I would ever be able to repay you guys for what you did. You saved me. You saved us....” He was tearing up again, this time the other looked at him fondly, “I always thought that I would live my entire life this way, always wary of what I do or what I say. But now... It’s just. It’s surreal. I’ll be eternally grateful for what you did.” He looked at each of the boys in the room.</p><p>A wolf, two vampires and a human.</p><p>They all smiled at him, their silence more telling than any phrase of comfort.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Where are we going to go?” Jina muttered, still worried. Soobin understood that.</p><p>Seokjin put his hands on her shoulders softly, “Well, I was thinking that you guys could stay with me? Indefinitely.” The Choi siblings looked at him gobsmacked.</p><p>“Hum, are you sure, hyung?” Soobin asked. Sure, Seokjin was a great person that always was nice and gentle with them, but he was not even in his thirties, and taking care of three teenagers all of the sudden wouldn’t be easy. Even for someone who took care of children for a living.</p><p>Seokjin smiled warmly at them, “Listen... I’ve seen you guys grow up. I’ve seen a glimpse of your poor treatment and it physically hurt me that you had to go through this and that I didn’t do something earlier. I can’t just let you fend for yourself. Hyunbin told me you had no family outside of your parents, and I want to be, hopefully one day when you’re ready, your new family.”</p><p>Soobin was still hesitant, “Hyung... I don’t know...“</p><p>“Listen Soobin, you just had the most traumatic months of your life and I’m not going to force you to take grand decision, now. Not when you’re in your hospital bed. You guys can stay with me while you officially decide of what you want to do, but it’s no pressure, my door will always be opened if you actually agree.”</p><p>“Mine, too, Soobin,” Beomgyu interjected sheepishly, “I have a lot... too much, room at home and I won’t graduate before two to three years. I’ll be more than willing to welcome you in my home, if you ever feel like it.”</p><p>“Me, too,” Huening Kai smiled, “I mean, we don’t really know each other Soobin but my home is always opened to all of you, too.”</p><p> </p><p>Soobin looked at all those amazing people that were ready to sacrifice so much for him.</p><p> </p><p>He cried some more, and this time they actually made fun of him for it.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soobin got discharged a month later.</p><p> </p><p>He felt so relieved to finally get out of the hospital.The last month had been so much... of <em>everything</em>.</p><p> </p><p>He had to spend his days either asleep, walking or catching up with people.</p><p>His friends and family still visited him a lot. To the point that the whole hospital wing’s staff knew of Choi Soobin and his five loud friends (counting Chaeryeong) and his two quiet and awkward siblings.</p><p>Soobin appreciated each and every of them for coming there but he was ready to go home.</p><p>Or wherever he was going.</p><p>He had to go through physical therapy for his foot that had been broken apparently. He hadn’t even noticed the pain that day. He figured that other parts hurt more.</p><p>So he had physical therapy, and although are exercise were hard, soon enough, he was able to walk properly and eat on his own and to go sleep without waking up with recurring nightmares.</p><p>(The nightmares were still there but they were a little less frequent.</p><p>Just a little, though.)</p><p>The week after he had woken up a lot had happened, the police had came to interrogate him. It had really hard to open up. To discern what was wrong and what was normal (none of it was normal but it was hard to convince him of it sometimes.)</p><p>He had to talk to medical staff, to the police, to social services, to a state lawyer. It was a lot for a seventeen years old.</p><p>That’s why he loved it so much when his friends would come to visit him.</p><p>The first week they would come all together everyday. It was so heartwarming. He could feel the love from all of them.</p><p>They had even made a small celebration for his birthday that he had to spend at the hospital. It was chaos and they were way too loud, but the hospital staff and gave him a present and had let them do their thing before kicking the boys and Chaeryeong out because the noise was getting out of hand. Soobin had loved it, though.</p><p> </p><p>The only downside was that they were sometimes treating him like he was made of glass. He had to actually get mad at them for them to actually stop being so careful around him.</p><p>They understood quickly though and after some time they treated him normally. With love, respect and a little bit of teasing.</p><p> </p><p>This month at the hospital also gave him time to think about what he was going to do with his siblings. He had asked them every time they came to visit how they felt, if they were comfortable with Seokjin and to be a 100% honest with him. It was a rule he had defined. If they wanted to fix their relationship they had to be entirely honest with each other.</p><p>He cared deeply about them but their mother had created a weird dynamic of comparison between the three of them. It would take some time to destroy that and reconstruct a more solid base to their relationship. They were all aware of that.</p><p>So, he wanted to make sure that everything was fine before taking his decision about where they would stay.</p><p>He was probably going to retake his senior year because if the whole ordeal. He had missed a month of class and will have to stay at home for another three weeks. He wasn’t in the right mental state of mind to stress about his college entrance exam. Also he didn’t want to leave his siblings stranded. He rather wait another year before leaving for college in Seoul.</p><p>At the end of his month stay at the hospital he decided that they would stay at Seokjin's for the school year and that they would stay at Beomgyu’s during the holidays. Seokjin was okay with it and Beomgyu was more than delighted to welcome them. It would take more time for the legal system to remove them under their parents’ custody but Seokjin had said several times that he was ready to fight for them.</p><p>His siblings were all okay with the idea of switching homes. Honestly, it felt like anything would be better than what they were in before.</p><p>Sometimes Hyunbin and Jina would talk about their dad and Soobin could see that they missed him a little. He wouldn’t say anything about that.</p><p>His dad was... okay. He was okay.</p><p>But Soobin several therapy session with Doctor Jung made him realize that couldn’t forget - or forgive - the fact that his father hadn’t done more to help his children. He was an accomplice, like his doctor had said.</p><p>Still, he knew that his siblings had different experiences with him and he didn’t want to take that away from them.</p><p> </p><p>There was still a lot of things that weren’t completely fixed. His brain was still a mid field. His insecurities were still really there. His mental health was still in shambles.</p><p>But he was getting there.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In what seemed to be seconds, it was already time for Soobin to leave the hospital.</p><p>Soobin walked with his crutches to the hospital’s lobby. He had the whole hospital staff waving him goodbye. They had truly been nice with him. He was going to miss them a lot.</p><p>Jeongguk, his favorite nurse, was walking with him to the hospital exit, where Seokjin was supposed to get him.</p><p>“Do you have everything? I won’t be there to help you tidy your stuff anymore,” the nurse teased him as they crossed the large lobby.</p><p>Soobin walked with his crutches and huffed, “I checked twice, also Jina had already took most of my stuff two days ago. You worry too much for nothing, hyung.” Soobin rolled his eyes playfully.</p><p>Jeongguk snickered lightly, “Hey! Let me fuss over you one last time. I’m saying goodbye to my favorite patient. Who am I going to hear complain about his vampire boyfriend for hours on end, now?!” The older mocked him.</p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend— He’s there. <em>Be cool!</em>” Soobin shushed the laughing nurse. They exited the hospital to see Seokjin by his car and Yeonjun was there, talking with him.</p><p>“I was already cool, you’re the one who—“</p><p>“Well, <em>stay cool</em>, hyung.” Soobin stopped him when Yeonjun turned around to give him the biggest smile.Soobin smiled back in nerve. Why did he still make him so nervous after four month of knowing each other.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If this month of staying at the hospital was a great occasion to catch up with Taehyunin private and reinforcing their friendship in the best way possible; then things with Yeonjun had been... <em>weird</em>.</p><p>Good but weird.</p><p>It was like him getting locked up in his house for a week made Yeonjun forget completely about what he had said when they had fought that day. The first time that they had stayed alone when Yeonjun had visited Soobin, they both had apologized for hurting each other.</p><p>Yeonjun wanted to date him, properly. He had said that the prospect of losing Soobin had made him realize that he felt really strongly for the omega and that he didn’t want to waste any time away from him.</p><p> </p><p>But Soobin had <em>refused</em>. To Yeonjun’s shock. To his own shock.</p><p> </p><p>Frankly he was surprised of his decision but after such traumatic event, Soobin had many reasons as to why dating Yeonjun wouldn’t be a good decision.</p><p>Firstly, Soobin was an emotional mess. He had inner conflict with himself as soon as he was alone. He still dealt with the mental aftermath of his parents’ abuse. He didn’t want to expose Yeonjun to that. Yeonjun didn’t deserve that.</p><p>Second, was the fact that he felt like Yeonjun was asking him again because he felt guilty and Taehyun had told him that he thought it was ridiculous to think so, but Soobin didn’t want to risk anything. He didn’t want to lock Yeonjun in a relationship he would regret just because he felt guilty. Better safe than sorry.</p><p>The last argument was the most logical one. If Soobin had gotten out of his toxic and abusive relationship with his parents, Yeonjun hadn’t. The vampire had lied for weeks to his parents by saying he was sleeping over for entire weeks at Beomgyu’s just to go visit Soobin at the hospital when he wanted to. His father still forced him to drink regular blood and even if the nurses had agreed after two weeks to give Yeonjun some of Soobin’s blood because Yeonjun’s health was deteriorating, Soobin didn’t want to be more responsible for any trouble between Yeonjun and his family.</p><p>For all of these reasons, Soobin had said no to Yeonjun.</p><p>Watching Yeonjun’s hopeful face crumble was quite hard. But Soobin felt like it was the right thing to do. He ignored his wolf conscience scolding him.</p><p>He had to focus on other things, anyways.</p><p>Yeonjun was going to go to college the year after. Soobin was going to retake his year and stay back here. Their lives were just going in different ways. It would never work.</p><p>Not right now, at least.</p><p> </p><p>Still, despite being disappointed and making things so awkward for them, Yeonjun had stayed.</p><p>If anything he had been <em>even more</em> present for Soobin after that rejection. Like he was trying to prove to Soobin that it could work.</p><p>That made Soobin’s heart flutter a little.</p><p>Like for instance, right now. Yeonjun was there with Seokjin to take him back to his house. And he was looking at him with the warmest smile.</p><p>“Hi, there.” Yeonjun said softly. He just talked to him with that warm tone all the time now. Soobin never knew how to react to it.</p><p>“Hey, what are you doing here?” Soobin asked. He waved at Seokjin who smiled back before opening the trunk of the car for Jeongguk to put down Soobin’s bag while the older men chatted.</p><p>“I was just going to visit you then I remembered that you were discharged today so I ran into Seokjin hyung on the way here.”</p><p>“Yeonjun... don’t you have classes to attend?” Soobin frowned. Although he liked the attention, he would hate for Yeonjun to have bad grades because of him.</p><p>“It’s just PE today, remember? I’m not going to miss much to be honest. I rather see you.” Soobin blushed at the words. Damn you, Choi Yeonjun.</p><p>Seokjin came back to them, “Okay, kids, we’re good to go. Yeonjun should I being you back home, or?”</p><p>“I wanted to stay with Soobin, if that’s okay. To help him settle and everything.” Yeonjun said shyly with a look of innocence. Seokjin wasn’t buying it though.</p><p>“Soobin is the decision maker, it’s up to him, really.”</p><p>Yeonjun turned to the omega who was looking at him sternly. He rolled his eyes muttered a ‘<em>fine</em>’. Yeonjun jumped in happiness and Soobin chuckled at his childishness.</p><p>“Well, Soobin. I guess this is goodbye.” Jeongguk said from behind. Soobin balanced himself in his crutch to turn around and hug tightly the nurse.</p><p>“Thank you so much for <em>everything</em>, hyung. You made this stay at the hospital ten times better. I’ll come visit you at the hospital for non medical reasons, sometimes.” He promised his hyung who hugged him back tightly.</p><p>“You have my number, anyways. If you feel like anything is wrong, you call me. And I mean anything, understand?” Jeongguk demanded in a caring tone. Soobin nodded obediently with a warm smile. Jeongguk's resolve crumbled and smiled back fondly.</p><p>“Okay... Bye, bunny. I’ll miss you.” Jeongguk waved at him as he helped him get inside the car.</p><p>“I’ll miss you, too. Bye, hyung!” Soobin said once the door was closed. Then the nurse greeted goodbye at the others before Seokjin left the hospital parking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“So, how are you feeling, Soobin?” Seokjin asked from the front of the car. Soobin was on the passenger seat with Yeonjun who was looking at him too to wait for his answer.</p><p>“Well, better, honestly. They gave me pain killers for my foot just in case but I’ll be careful with it. But other than that the rest of my injuries healed properly.” He explained, “I’ll still have to go to the physiotherapist twice a week and to the normal therapist once a week. Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get there! I know you must be busy.” Soobin assured the alpha. He knew that Seokjin wasn’t like his parents, but he didn’t want to make him mad by being too needy. God knew that his mother would despise that.</p><p>Seokjin looked at him through the rear view mirror, “Are you kidding me? Of course not!” Soobin flinched at the indignant exclamation. Harsh voices just reminded him of bad things. When Seokjin noticed he winced, probably at himself, “sorry. I’ll be mindful of my tone from now on.”</p><p>“It’s okay hyung. I shouldn’t complain, I mean, you’re taking us in, like that. I’m so grateful already.” Soobin said genuinely. He felt Yeonjun looking at him but he avoided his gaze.</p><p>“Soobin, you’re going to find out soon enough that in my house, the only rule is full honesty and expression. If you have any complaint, you <em>tell me</em>. If you need help with anything, you tell me. I noticed that your brother and sister were quite... independent already. Your parents taught you to never expect anything from them, so you developed independence from it. I must assume that you’re worse than Hyunbin and Jina on that aspect.” Soobin nodded reluctantly, and he felt Yeonjun leaning a little against him in comfort, “But I’m your caretaker now, Soobin. I fully understand that it’ll need some get use to, but the only thing I want from all of you is to tell me when something, anything is wrong.”</p><p>Soobin hesitated to nod right away.</p><p>It was weird.</p><p>An adult caring about him was <em>weird</em>.</p><p>When you spend your entire life to not ask anything from your parents because you know that, not only they will laugh at your face for asking, but they will probably send you to bed without dinner for it, you learned to shut up.</p><p>Like Seokjin said, it will require some time to get used to the idea of not... belittling yourself all the time and only counting on yourself and not your family.</p><p>“Fine,” Soobin sighed, “Thank you.” He said smiling.</p><p>He was going to work on it.</p><p>“Regarding your appointments, I’m busy on the days you have your therapist appointments but I cleared my schedules on the afternoons of your physiotherapist appointments. My friend Jimin will take you to your therapist appointments, at least until your foot heals completely.”</p><p>Soobin was going to protest but the alpha cut him, “Nuh-uh-uh. Don’t even think of interjecting. You’ve probably just had the most difficult months of your life. You had to take care of everything for you and your siblings from your hospital bed and even before that. Now it’s time that you let us take care of you, a little.” Seokjin said seriously.</p><p>Soobin gulped and looked at his hands fiddling with his sweater.</p><p>It was just weird.</p><p>He was going to agree reluctantly again when he saw Yeonjun taking his hand in his. The omega looked at the vampire in question. They didn’t held hands as much as before. That first day at the hospital when he woke up was one of the last time he did. Soobin was just not up for it as much as before. He didn’t want to mislead Yeonjun by accepting this type of affection.</p><p>(He couldn’t stop the gentle, warm and... <em>loving</em> looks though.)</p><p>Now that he was holding his hand, it still had the same amazing, and just right, feeling.</p><p>“You should listen to him, Soobin. You need to rest a little. Don’t you think?” Yeonjun hushed softly. Seokjin focused back on the road as if to give them privacy.</p><p>“I just spent a month to rest, though.” Soobin said in dejection. He wouldn’t see beds the same way, after spending all this time on one.</p><p>“I meant resting mentally. I can feel you’re brain engines grinding every time that I’m near you. You need to let go and have time for yourself. Times where all you care about is you. Not your parents, not the people at school, not the strangers that will judge you, not your siblings - not too much at least. Just yourself.” Yeonjun explained him softly. Soobin looked at him carefully. Yeonjun hadn’t changed physically. He looked a little more tired but other than that it wasn’t something physical that had changed. He was just more mature.</p><p>Soobin thought about what the vampire was saying. It wouldn’t hurt to let go a little. Take some time for himself.</p><p>Just a little.</p><p>“Alright... I’ll rest more.” He grumbled out. Yeonjun grinned at his sour expression before squeezing their hands together tighter. Soobin smiled at the gesture softly. It was also easier to smile around Yeonjun, although it was already the case before... the whole deal.</p><p>“Hyung, I— Okay. If it’s not too much of a bother, I would be grateful if you could take me there.” Soobin addressed the alpha. Seokjin nodded with a big smile, as if he was delighted to ease Soobin’s mind.</p><p> </p><p>It will definitely take some time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Seokjin’s house was <em>great</em>. Apparently other than taking care of children for the church he was also a successful marketing manager in a firm in the neighboring town. Soobin had no idea what that meant exactly, but all he could see is that he had enough means and room to take care of him and siblings.</p><p>They each had their rooms, like in their old house, but Soobin shared a bathroom with Seokjin, which was totally fine.</p><p>Seokjin was really nice and patient. He was always reminding them that he was there for them, that they could do whatever felt right, but that if they needed to talk he would be there.</p><p>When they ate dinner together Soobin thanked the Lord for his friends, and for Seokjin. Because just like Taehyun, Seokjin was probably an angel sent on earth to protect him.</p><p>It showed that Seokjin knew how to take care of teenagers, because when Jina would throw a fit (Since she was <em>still</em> herself) or when Hyunbin would be so upset about something that he would silence treatment the whole house, or when Soobin would, on the contrary, have a difficult time and not open up, Seokjin would handle things like a champ.</p><p>They all had bad and destructive habits from their old house dynamics, but they were working on it, slowly but surely, and Seokjin was helping them fix it.</p><p> </p><p>Things were not perfect.</p><p>They really weren’t.</p><p>Soobin was still traumatized from what had happened. He was still nervous to talk about certain things. Like his fear of Seokjin abandoning them. Or the fear of his mother escaping the prison to hurt him. Or the fear of his father reaching to him to guilt him for what Soobin did to the family.</p><p>He talked about those things with his therapist after some coaxing from Doctor Jung. But it still wasn’t enough. He talked about it hut he hadn’t dealt with it.</p><p> </p><p>He was also nervous to talk about more... trivial things.</p><p>Like his heat for instance.</p><p>He was supposed to have it during his hospital stay but they gave him some kind of suppressant that would push it to the following months.</p><p>Soobin was stressed about his next heat. He had never spent it anywhere else than in the confine of his old room, alone and in pain. He didn’t know how to approach the matter with Seokjin who was an alpha that only knew teenage girl omegas. Not teenage boys.</p><p> </p><p>He was going to talk about it with Taehyun today.</p><p>Today was his first day back at school after almost two months of hospital then home recovery.</p><p>He had spent the three weeks of house rest sleeping, thinking and getting used to the new house dynamic. Sometimes the boys would visit him. Taehyun and Yeonjun mostly. Taehyun slept over twice and it was great.</p><p>Yeonjun came to hang out and talk about trivial things to bring the omega’s oftenly sour mood up.</p><p>And to drink his blood, too.</p><p>At first the wanted it keep it a secret but Soobin had figured that he owed Seokjin the whole truth.</p><p>Seokjin had been so weirded out by the whole deal. It was almost funny.</p><p> </p><p>(“... So what you are saying is that...” Seokjin looked so distraught, Soobin was doing everything not to chuckle.The subject wasn’t something to laugh about but his face was just too funny.</p><p>“... Is that Yeonjun needs my blood otherwise he’ll... I mean, he’ll die.”</p><p>Seokjin kept on looking at him with that face who was a mix of confusion, disbelief and terror.</p><p>“... Right, and what was the name of that disease again? I thought that vampires were invincible or something...” Seokjin grumbled as he pulled out his phone to most likely search the disease on the internet.</p><p>“It’s <em>sanguinaferrum</em>. Also, in theory they <em>are</em>, but that disease only touch a handful of vampires in the world and still. Most of them don’t even survive it to talk about it.” Soobin explained as Seokjin tapped on his phone. The alpha exclaimed a small ‘Ah’ then focused on the article he must have found.</p><p>Meanwhile, Soobin kept on eating his bread. Seokjin made the best bread ever, better than some bakeries in town. Thanks to the alpha’s cooking, Soobin was gaining back the weight he had lost pretty fast.</p><p>“Okay, I understand it more now... but, still, Soobinnie. How long have you guys have been doing that?”</p><p>Soobin explained vaguely to the alpha who was listening with grand attention. He didn’t mention the whole intense pleasure thing. It was kind of embarrassing and... private. Once he was done explaining their whole process, Seokjin was looking at him with a softer gaze.</p><p>“You guys were doing all of this just to not get caught by your mother and his father?”</p><p>“Yes. My mother refused to have any vampire approaching us, she had backwards ideas about them, kind of like everyone in our church. No offense.”</p><p>“None taken. I don’t condone them either. Some of my best friends are vampires. I just kind of let the adult say their stupid ideas, since I do care about their children.”</p><p>Soobin smiled at that. He was so happy that Seokjin was open to other species.</p><p>“Yeonjun’s father isn’t better either. He has the same preconceived ideas about wolves. To the point that he would rather see his son die than look for help. So, I did what I thought, and still think, is right.”</p><p>Seokjin nodded and Soobin could see that he was really understanding what it was about. That reassured him so much.</p><p>“So, you’re telling me this because you want my permission to feed him, right?”</p><p>Soobin winced sheepishly, “It’ll only be once a week on Saturdays, and he doesn’t drink all that much. I promise that we’ll be careful—“</p><p>“Soobin... I’m not your parents. I’m not going to educate you on the risks of that whole thing because I know that you are already well aware. You do what you feel is right, okay?”</p><p>Soobin’s shoulder sagged in relief and he looked at his hyung with an earnest and grateful expression.</p><p>Thank, God for Kim Seokjin.</p><p>Seokjin patted his head and smiled back. Then they went back to their respective activities. Soobin was catching up on his homework and Seokjin had a presentation at his firm in two days.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Minutes later the alpha mused, “So... are we not going to mention the obvious romantic tension between Taehyun and Beomgyu?”</p><p>Soobin froze for a few seconds before composing himself. Seokjin was so nice and open but he hadn’t said anything about openness to other sexualities. He also didn’t want to out Taehyun and Beomgyu even though they weren’t all that discreet to begin with.</p><p>“I— I didn’t notice anything, maybe you—“</p><p>“That’s right. You’re always too busy acting like Yeonjun isn’t giving you heart eyes.” Seokjin teased him. Soobin gaped at him. Okay, so Seokjin was open to it all, but he was going to be annoying about it.</p><p>“Oh, you’re blushing. How cute, Soobinnie.” Seokjin cooed.</p><p>Soobin whined, “Hyung! Stop!”)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Seokjin had been an angel about it (as usual), but had asked that they do it at his house instead of the hotel. It sounded too gloomy to the alpha. Soobin didn’t comment further on it.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin walked to the bus station to go to school. Now that he lived with Seokjin he lived further away from school and couldn’t walk anymore to go. It wouldn’t be a problem if people weren’t looking at him even more. His siblings had told him that all of the student body knew of what happened. It was really uncomfortable for them. Soobin felt for them because he had known that very well since he had presented.</p><p>He hadn’t anticipated things getting worse than what he had went through before, though.</p><p>People talked, whispered and gossiped avidly. That, Soobin was used to. What he wasn’t use to was the the looks of pity and concern from everyone.</p><p>Generally people looked at him like he was a freaky wonder and the pity was more for his parents than anything else.</p><p>Now the pity was strictly and exclusively for him.</p><p>It was just so unusual.</p><p>Still, it was as annoying as the looks he used to receive before his mother and father got arrested.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He increased the volume of his earphones on the bus ride and ignored people’s looks as he entered the school.</p><p>He had an appointment with the physiotherapist in the morning so he had missed the two first period.</p><p>He walked to the school entrance, and fortunately there wasn’t a lot of people there. The hallways were empty except for some few people that were running late to their classes. Even then, they slowed down to look at him.</p><p>He knew that he was a little late but he had been allowed by his teacher to come at any moment, since his foot still hurt a little bit.</p><p>He arrived in front of his class maybe five minutes after the bell had rang. He made sure to have a neutral face.</p><p>Here it went.</p><p>He knocked on the door three times ans waited for someone to say “Come in,”</p><p>He entered the room slowly and saw the whole classroom looking at him.</p><p>He gulped and addressed to his teacher, “Hello, Mrs. Lee, excuse me for being late,” he said quietly. He knew that being discreet wouldn’t change anything. People were already whispering like their loves were depending on it. He looked over the classroom and everyone was looking at him with those same expression of wonder and pity. He sighed internally.</p><p>It was what it was.</p><p>“It’s not a problem, Soobin. I’m glad you’re back.” His teacher said warmly with those same eyes. As if she was scared he would collapse right here and there. He smiled awkwardly at her, waiting for her to tell him to seat, like she always did.</p><p>“Oh! Sorry. You can go seat, now.” She said. Soobin bowed again and walked further to the desk.</p><p>He must admit it. All this attention was a little stressful. He didn’t like to have everyone looking at him, no matter how used to it he was. It didn’t feel good to be scrutinized like that.</p><p>He looked around until he walked to an empty desk on the side.</p><p>That’s when he saw Yeonjun smiling at him. Eyes pointing at the desk next to his own, following him for a whole entire reason.</p><p>He instantly felt better.</p><p>At least they shared this class together.</p><p>He settled down after briefly smiling back.</p><p> </p><p>He tried his best to ignore people’s looks, and follow the lecture. It was easier with Yeonjun there, next to him.</p><p> </p><p>Halfway through the class, while he was meticulously jotting down on his copy book his notes, a note was thrown on his desk. He looked at his side, to see Yeonjun smiling at him before the vampire looked back at the board where their teacher was focused on writing important words.</p><p>He opened the note discreetly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>‘It’s so great to see you back ^^</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Hopefully people will stop staring at you like that soon enough</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>In the meantime I’ve got your back if anyone is bothering you (ง`_´)ง</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>PS: Let’s have lunch together after, even though I can’t eat?’</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Soobin tried to reign down his smile as he folded back the note and put it in his pocket. He discreetly turned to Yeonjun to raise his eyebrows and nod quickly. Yeonjun just grinned back.</p><p>When their teacher turned around, they quickly schooled their expression and tried to focus fully on the lecture.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know it was possible for people to be more nosy, but I always seem to forget in what town we actually live,” Chaeryeong huffed in indignation.</p><p>They were currently in the school cafeteria, where Soobin, Taehyun, and Chaeryeong were eating while Yeonjun and Beomgyu were just doing their own thing.</p><p>They were in the back of the cafeteria in a lone corner, as usual. It was rather secluded from everyone in general, but Soobin could have hidden in the toilet and there would still be eyes on him.</p><p>“Yeah. It’s really annoying the way that people just stare,” Taehyun exclaimed loudly, throwing glares at the tables around them. It barely kept the students from still blatantly staring at Soobin and the rest of the table, though.</p><p>Soobin rolled his eyes at them, “It’s okay. I’m used to it by now. Male omega, remember?” He said sheepishly. He was clearly affected (read: bothered) by it but he didn’t want to cause a scene for nothing and he just knew what Taehyun and Chaeryeong were capable of when they tried to defend him.</p><p>“Oh, please, Soobin! They weren’t half as many staring when you presented. Now it’s just plain rudeness and I pity the people who gave them an education because they would be so disappointed to see their children acting like that.” Taehyun grumbled. If Soobin noticed Beomgyu resting his hand on the beta’s thigh, maybe to calm him down, he didn’t say anything about it.</p><p>Quite honestly, Soobin was embarrassed. He didn’t like the staring but he despised the fact that his friends were dragged into this.</p><p>“Ten people asked me about you today, Soobin,” Chaeryeong sighed, “I don’t know how many times do I have to say ‘mind your damn business’ for them to understand!” She exclaimed and the whole table chuckled. When she wasn’t scary, Chaeryeong was just funny.</p><p>“I’m sorry that I had all of you dragged into this... I didn’t want everyone to harass you because of my family’s problems.” Soobin muttered in guilt.</p><p>A chorus of ‘<em>No</em>’s rose around the table, “Don’t apologize! <em>They’re</em> the ones that shouldn’t ask about you when they’ve only been treating you like garbage for the last few years.”</p><p>“You have nothing to be sorry for. We’re your protection squad! We’re your family, now. We’ve got your back.” Yeonjun said with enthusiasm, slowly coaxing Soobin out his sour mood with his gentle smile, once again.</p><p>“Thank you guys.” Soobin said again. He’s been thanking a lot of people lately.</p><p>He was just grateful that he had people to thank because they stood by, to be begin with. “I appreciate you all so much.” He said to all of them.</p><p>“Aww, Don’t go all sappy on us hyung, or I’ll tear up.” Beomgyu said dramatically as he whipped a fake tear under his eye. Taehyun playfully pushed him away, calling him an idiot on Soobin’s behalf, making the whole table snort. Taehyun brought the vampire closer to him after though.</p><p>They really looked like they genuinely liked each other. They were fine with not being out to the world; it would bring more problems than solutions anyways. Soobin found himself looking at them in longing as they chatted playfully with Chaeryeong.</p><p>He sighed quietly.</p><p>He wished that things would be that easy with Yeonjun.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It could be</em>
</p><p>It was his wolf conscious. Again.</p><p>He was back to ignoring it.</p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re okay?” Yeonjun caught his attention quietly. The rest of their group was chatting about something that happened in Beomgyu’s physic class.</p><p>Soobin schooled his expression to muster the most believable smile he could, “I’m okay.Just a little frustrated with all the looks. People are actually looking at us, right now.” Soobin sighed while keeping his small smile. He was upset about other things but he wouldn’t tell that to Yeonjun.</p><p>“Again?” Yeonjun looked up sharply, glaring at all the prying eyes. His eyes shifted from brown to golden and for the first time Soobin found it a little intimidating. It looked scary to the people around them though, because a lot of heads scooted down and turned to their own tables to avoid Yeonjun’s glare.</p><p>“I always hated people in this school, anyways. I can’t wait to leave this place.” Yeonjun muttered as he scowled at the table. Soobin smiled even more awkwardly.</p><p>Here was one of the reason why he shouldn’t wish for something more with the vampire, coming to his face, again.</p><p>This whole relationship of them had an expiration date.</p><p>“Right... that’s too bad that I’m staying for another year.... I’ll miss you.” Soobin said, not able to keep the sadness out of his voice.</p><p>Yeonjun was about to answer when he heard a crash across the cafeteria and gasps. All heads turned to the noise and then screaming could be heard</p><p>“What’s happening?” Chaeryeong asked as they all tried to see what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin saw his baby brother across the room, all red on the face, and Gunhee was screaming at him.</p><p>“Oh, shit.” Beomgyu said. Soobin was already getting up, though.</p><p> </p><p>He was already seeing red.</p><p> </p><p>He fast walked (read: limped) across the cafeteria, pushing people out of his way until he reached Hyunbin and Gunhee.</p><p>“What do you think you’re doing?!” He said to Gunhee, throwing him the nastiest glare he could muster.</p><p>His brother looked mad too but also like he was frustrated. Soobin got closer to him instinctively. Hyunbin never got mad, so this must have been bad.</p><p>“I should have known that you were weak like your brother, Hyunbin. But to the extent of having him protecting you?!” Gunhee laughed in snark at the alpha. In seconds, Jina reached Hyunbin and Soobin’s side, but Soobin was only focused on glaring at the cocky alpha.</p><p>“Watch your mouth, Gunhee!” Taehyun threatened Gunhee, the rest of their group all glaring at him, too.</p><p>“Or what? Are you going to ask your vampire puppy to attack me? Please shut the fuck up and go back to sucking his dick.” Gunhee scoffed. People gasped. Soobin didn’t know if it was because of the crude language or because of the idea of something sexual happening between Taehyun and Beomgyu.</p><p>In anyways, Soobin had never seen Beomgyu look so pissed off before than at that precise moment. His eyes were glowing in a threatening golden as if he was about to pounce on Gunhee to hurt him real bad. Taehyun stepped in front of him before the vampire did something he would regret, but he was still glowering at Gunhee, too. They all were.</p><p>“Watch out!” Beomgyu spat.</p><p>Gunhee scoffed, “Whatever vamp.” More people gasped at the slur, amongst them other vampire students that were getting madder, too. You could just feel it in the air, “I’m not looking for a fight with you anyway,” Gunhee’s snake eyes fell back on the Choi siblings.</p><p>“What’s your problem?” Soobin hissed.</p><p>“You. You’re my problem! Your whole existence is my problem!” Gunhee spat back.</p><p>Soobin’s eyes widened in angry disbelief. <em>What the hell?</em> “What did I ever do to you?! If you hate me so much, just leave me alone. Leave my family alone!”</p><p>“I can’t! Because everything seems to always be about you! Everyone is obsessed with you! My parents have been talking about you since I was a kid! ‘Oh, Gunhee, why can’t you have good grades like Soobin? Why can’t you be as handsome and well behaved as him? Why can’t you be a good christian like him??’ I’m sick of it!” He hissed.</p><p>“Well, I cannot help your parents' perception, can I?! Why don’t you become a better person and then maybe they’ll stop doing it.” Soobin almost screamed at him. He was sick of people blaming him for things he had no control over. His gender. His weight. His whole being.</p><p> </p><p>Gunhee growled at him, “You think it’s that simple?! Even now! Now that your crazy parents are in jail, it’s all about you! ‘Poor, Soobin, he must have been through so much!’ They’re talking about you all the damn time and even blaming me for giving your mother intels about your whereabouts when you and the other bitch weren’t speaking when they asked me to do so!” he spat as he jerked his head toward Taehyun. Once again, Taehyun had to stop Beomgyu from pouncing on Gunhee to hurt him.</p><p> </p><p>That was it, though.</p><p> </p><p>He had enough of it.</p><p>Soobin walked to the alpha until they were only few feet away, “Listen, asshole, <em>you’re</em> the only one to blame for this. I don’t care if your parents asked you to do it... <em>you</em> had the power to lie to them, to say no! But you <em>didn’t</em>, you watched me and made my life a living hell. You’re a <em>bad person,</em> Gunhee. And all of the crap happening to you are deserved. Because instead of surviving through it like I had to for years, you’re <em>throwing</em> your whole frustration on me!”</p><p> </p><p>Gunhee looked like he was ions away from beating Soobin up. Then his anger cleared from and his sleazy grin came back.</p><p>Dread took over Soobin’s body.</p><p> </p><p>“Well— You know what? I refrained from talking about a certain things that I saw, but maybe I should’ve been honest, from the beginning.”</p><p>Soobin fidgeted, eyes looking at Yeonjun for a millisecond. Yeonjun looked like he wanted to rip Gunhee’s throat.</p><p>“Wh— What are you talking about?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe I should’ve told your mom that I saw you go to an hotel with pretty boy over there every Saturday for the last four months.” The alpha snarked before pointing at Yeonjun’s horrified face.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin froze.</p><p>Silence invaded the whole cafeteria in collective shock.</p><p>“Shut up,” Soobin said in a defensive tone, “You don’t know what you’re taking about!” Soobin was trying to keep his composure but he knew that his face was growing hotter by the second.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe the school and the church would love to know what sick and disgusting <em>gay</em> things you guys have been doing behind closed door. Just like your bitch of a best friend and his puppy vamp over there.” Gunhee smiled in the most evil way possible. It reminded Soobin of his mother.</p><p> </p><p>It was all too much like his mother.</p><p> </p><p>He looked at Yeonjun who had an horrified and loathing expression. Then he looked at Beomgyu and Taheyun who were glaring at Gunhee fighting off angry tears. Then, he looked at all the poeple around him, that were staring at him with looks of shock ans disgust.</p><p> </p><p>It was all too much.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not perfect, Choi Soobin. You’re a freaky <em>slut</em> of an Omega who should rot in hell with all the other fag-“</p><p>Before Gunhee could finish his sentence, Soobin threw the biggest punch he had ever thrown in his life across his face. He heard a crack as his fist collided in Gunhee’s jaw.</p><p> </p><p>Gasps filled the cafeteria.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck?!” Gunhee said as he held his bleeding nose in his hand.</p><p> </p><p>It was all white noise to Soobin.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone was staring at him with round eyes.</p><p>It was all too much.</p><p>It was just...</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t finish his thought and simply ran.</p><p>
  
</p><p>He ignored the calls for his name as he pushed pass people.</p><p> </p><p>And he ran.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You thought that things were going to get better, huh?</p><p> </p><p>Well nope! Sorry lovelies.</p><p> </p><p>Also, maybe im self centered, but I felt like the MV had the same vibe as my fic. Like some scenes, like Soobin’s sad face, him inviting them in his house, Hyukah being a little distanced from them, all of it just reminded me of my fic. Maybe it’s just me, though, hehehehe nvm</p><p>STILL, im happy because not only this comeback is amazing but it can serve of a visual aid for my story since Soobin is quite sad... sad in it (wink wink) 😂</p><p>PS: Next update soon baby boos but Comments always make me happy💕💕💕</p><p>Also if you want to be friends dm me my twt is @sanspoppinstar</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Our Start Line (The Startlight Of The Day We Saw Together)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the last chapter to this story and it’s extra long just for you guys!</p><p>As a second gift for this WOWOWOW Comeback!<br/>Can’t You See Me = Bop<br/>Drama = A boppity bop bop<br/>MAZE IN THE MIRROR??? = A CULTURAL RESET </p><p>Back to the storyyyyy... There will be an epilogue since that’s how I roll!</p><p>Enjoy it my lovelies 💕💕💕</p><p>TW// panick attacks</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Soobin! Wait!”</em>
</p><p>Yeonjun shouted across the half empty hallways. But Soobin wasn’t listening to him. Or maybe, he didn’t want to listen to him.</p><p>The omega limped fastly in the depht of the hallways until Yeonjun couldn’t see him anymore. Im moments like that Yeonjun really wished that vampires had fast speed abilities.</p><p>He ran and took a turn right, like Soobin did, until he reached a dead end. There was only two doors, one of them was the boys bathroom. He sighed when he heard a weak sob coming from it.</p><p>He slowly pushed opened the toilets’ door and saw that it was empty. The sobs could still be heard, though.</p><p>“Soobin...” Yeonjun muttered sadly. He walked to the end of the toilets until he was in front of the bigger handicap stall where the crying was coming from.</p><p>He noticed that the door was locked and gently knocked. If weeks of spending time with a vulnerable Soobin taught him anything, it was that you had to be gentle with him, not to startle him or make harsh movements. It reminded him of his horrible mother’s ways. He knocked again but was met with more sobs. It hurt to hear the omega sound so defeated.</p><p>“Soobin, please let me in. You’re probably injured from the punch you threw.”</p><p>Soobin cried louder and stuttered out, “Leave me alone, Yeonjun. I just— I-I...”</p><p>Yeonjun sighed again, “Let me help you, Soobin. Please?” He begged him.</p><p>He was met with silence, before a defeated sigh was heard and moments later, the lock on the door opened.</p><p>He waited few seconds before opening it carefully.</p><p>Soobin was curled up in the corner of the dirty large stall. He had his hands hiding his face as he cried. At the sight Yeonjun cooed. He really couldn’t handle seeing the omega like that.</p><p>He slowly walked to him until they were sat side by side, “Oh, Soobin...”</p><p>“Wh—What are we going to—to do, Yeonjun?” Soobin weeped in his hands. Yeonjun scooted a little close in comfort but didn’t touch him, yet.</p><p>“We’re going to report Gunhee to the school principal, if Taehyun, Beomgyu and Chaeryeong didn’t do it already.” Yeonjun said in anger. Gunhee could go rot in hell. Throwing his own hurt and anger to Soobin’s face like his life hadn’t already been a living hell. Yeonjun couldn’t understand how a person could be so self-centered and inconsiderate to put Soobin in such a position after coming back from his traumatic experience with his parents. Gunhee wasn’t like Soobin’s mother. But he was another type of monster.</p><p>Soobin whimpered in his hands, and Yeonjun wanted to hold them so bad. He wanted to take his injured hands and take care of it before holding the other as tightly as possible.</p><p>“I meant about what he said... the whole school knows that we’re... they all think that we—“ Soobin trailed off. Yeonjun winced and suddenly he realized what Gunhee’s words were going to set off.</p><p>Oh, God. If someone told his father about this...</p><p>Yeonjun dismissed that thought because Soobin was on the verge of having a panic attack right next to it.</p><p>“Listen, Soobinnie.... Look at me,” he coaxed him out, he gently held the omega’s wrists until Soobin went lax and willingly put his hands down. He avoided his eyes but Yeonjun gently put the tip of his finger under his chin to make him look at him.</p><p>“We’re screwed Yeonjun. What are we going to do? What is going to happen to us? What if my mother—“</p><p>“Soobinnie your mother isn’t here anymore. Remember?” Yeonjun reminded him so softly. Soobin blinked at him, tears falling again, like he had truly forgotten about it. Yeonjun didn’t blame him. He knew that even if Soobin’s mother was in jail for probably a while, she had also locked Soobin in a mental prison. And he was constantly fearful and weeping in it.</p><p>“You’re right... I- I forgot...” Soobin muttered, eyes looking blankly at something behind Yeonjun. The vampire nodded with a small smile.</p><p>“It’s fine. You live with Seokjin and you told me that he was accepting... so you don’t have to worry about how things will be at home, okay?”</p><p>“B—But what about at school? People will start bullying me again... I just got out of the worst time in my life and I’m going to fall back in it, again. Oh God, Yeonjun...” soobin was whimpering so much that his breathing was coming out ragged. Yeonjun’s hold on his wrist tightened slightly.</p><p>“Soobin, breathe, please. If we want to find a solution, you need to calm down a bit. Come on, breathe with me,” he mimicked the breath count, “In... and out. In... and out.” They did it several time until Soobin’s breathe was back to normal. Although there was still fat tears rolling on his soft cheeks. Yeonjun wiped some of them.</p><p>“This is just... awful. I just can’t believe that Gunhee would do something like this.” Soobin sighed out. He looked crushed. Yeonjun kept his hands on his cheek.</p><p>“I can’t believe he saw us, all this time, and didn’t say anything. No... This asshole was just waiting for the right occasion. I never hated someone so much in my life.” Yeonjun glared at the thought of that snarky bastard. People like that was what made him lose faith in this world.</p><p>“Me, too... and now everyone knows. It’s going to get worse, Yeonjun. They all are going to think I’m a slut... that we had sex, and— and they’re going to call me names and the church is going to ban me... I don’t think I can handle it, Yeonjun.” Soobin said in a shaky voice. Yeonjun held his face firmly to make him pay attention to what he was about to say.</p><p>“Soobin, I’m not going to let anyone tell you anything. I’ll hurt anyone who so much as <em>touch</em> you in the wrong way. I promise I really will.”</p><p>Soobin blinked at him, glistening eyes still full of hurt. Yeonjun held his gaze and tried to convey all the determination he had through it.</p><p>“... But what about next year... You’re going to leave and— Oh God! What about your father?! He’s going to kill you if he hears about it, Yeonjun!” Soobin started panicking again and to be fair, the panic started crawling inside of Yeonjun, too.</p><p>His father was... Yeonjun didn’t want to know how he would react.</p><p>“It’s fine, Soobin... I’ll handle it—“</p><p>“Are you kidding me?! You expect me to dismiss it when your father was ready to let you die because of his pride?!” Soobin scoffed, face agitated in Yeonjun’s hands. Yeonjun slowly took them away since Soobin wasn’t crying as much. The omega still took both his hands in his again, though.</p><p>“I just— I’m overly worried about everything. This whole situation is going to be messy for all of us. Me, you, Taehyun and Beomgyu... but I’m not going to be selfish and let you handle this on your own! I’m scared shitless of what’s going to happen to me - to all of us, but I’m even more scared about your father’s reaction.” Soobin pressed him. Yeonjun nodded dumbly at his words. He had mixed feelings about this current situation. A strange feeling always overtook him when Soobin was close by, and it felt good and warm; nevertheless, dread was also ever present in his mind since Gunhee opened his mouth about their hotel meetings.</p><p>“Thank you, Soobin.” Yeonjun simply answered. He was also scared of the repercussions, but he liked how much Soobin wanted to help him.</p><p>“We’re going to get you through this, okay? You promised that you’ll protect me and I promise that I’ll do everything to protect you, too!” Soobin said firmly and it was a little overwhelming how he looked. He was flushed, tears drying in his face and eyes a little swollen; but he also had the warmest and most determinate look on, that also carried some lilt of dread.</p><p>It was overwhelming.</p><p>So, Yeonjun held on the omega’s soft hand. Like the lifeline that it represented.</p><p> </p><p>(His unbeating heart tugged, in a way that it only did when Soobin was around Soobin.</p><p>He ignored it.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun, Taehyun and Beomgyu were waiting for Soobin at the end of the day (Chaeryeong had an urgent student council meeting). The omega had been called to the principal’s office with Seokjin in tow but also with Gunhee and his own parents to talk about what had happened.</p><p>They were all standing anxiously outside of school. People were staring at them so much that Taehyun was shaking in nerve. Yeonjun could see that Beomgyu wanted to comfort him but he was refraining, too, because of all the looks.</p><p>Some students were throwing slurs at them, some were staring at them in disgust, others were only looking at them in wonder, scrutinizing every of their movements.</p><p>It was all pretty nerve wracking.</p><p>“What the <em>hell</em> are they doing in this office? How long do they need to speak to sanction that asshole?” Taehyun grumbled. He still had tracks of tears on his face from what had happened. Yeonjun imagined that it was especially hard for someone who was still a little attached to church like Taehyun or who simply wasn’t comfortable being out yet, like Beomgyu.</p><p>Yeonjun’s parents already knew that he was gay. It was one of the reasons why he had so much drifted away from his father. His mother loved him regardless of his sexuality but his dad was born in the 1900s. He was from an older, more backward time. It just baffled him that his parents were Destined. They couldn’t be more different.</p><p>“I just saw movement in the principal’s office. They should go out soon.” Beomgyu reassured his boyfriend. His best friend still looked so upset and hurt. Yeonjun hurt for him. His dad didn’t know he was gay, so he didn’t know how he would react.</p><p>They had talked about that before. Neither Beomgyu, Yeonjun nor Huening Kai knew how Beomgyu’s father would react if he were to come out to him.</p><p>Now that he had been through a forced outing, Beomgyu must have felt so stressed. Yeonjun wanted to comfort him and hug him because that always worked wonders on his best friend’s nerves, but once again, people were watching them, waiting for an occasion to talk.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun was about to call out on some other random student insulting them snarkily before Soobin and Seokjin walked out of the building. Soobin had his shoulders hunched but he also looked angry, just like Seokjin who was scowling.</p><p>Once the two wolves approached the gate, the three friends walked to them, “So? What happened?” Yeonjun asked Soobin that just looked exhausted.</p><p>“So, I’m suspended for three days for hitting him...” Soobin grumbled.</p><p>“What?! But he provoked you! He picked on your brother first!” Taehyun complained loudly.</p><p>“Yeah, but Soobin still had a physical altercation with him, and the school is strict about that. They were pretty merciful with him since he had went through hardships with his family,” Seokjin explained, but he had an annoyed look. Probably from how unfair it all was.</p><p>“What about Gunhee?”</p><p>“He got detention each Saturday until the end of the year and it’ll be reported on his permanent record... but the worst part is that it’s for creating a commotion and using a slur against vampires! Not even for basically outing us to the whole school.” Soobin said dejectedly, hands balled in a tight fist. “I mean it was a decent sanction, but I get suspended and all he has is detention.”</p><p>“It’s complete bullshit. He should be expelled!” Beomgyu whined, and the rest of the group nodded.</p><p>“Well, at least they didn’t treat you too unfairly. Especially since his parents donate money to the school. They were rather impartial.” Seokjin tried to rationalize, but he was talking to deaf people at the moment. Especially when Gunhee and his parents came out of the school. Gunhee looked down as he followed his angry looking parents. Despite that he still throw them a nasty smirk when he ran by them to exit the school.</p><p>“I’m going to kill him—“ Beomgyu was already walking towards the alpha with glowing eyes, but Taehyun quickly stopped him by holding his hand.</p><p>As quickly, some people gasped. Yeonjun looked around and saw that they were staring attentively at Taehyun’s hands in Beomgyu’s. Once the couple noticed it they quickly let it go.</p><p>Seokjin rolled his eyes at the ridiculous reactions before sighing, “Anyways, Soobin. It’s okay. You weren’t in the wrong and I don’t blame you for doing what you did, even though you should know that violence and hatred doesn’t help anyone.” Seokjin told the omega who looked at his feet with an upset look. Yeonjun wanted comfort him again, but he held back.</p><p>“I know... I’m sorry, hyung.” The omega looked on the verge of tears again, as if he was getting scolded by his mother. And maybe that was what going through his mind when he’d be talk down by his hyung.</p><p>Seokjin noticed the change of attitude coming from the omega and simply put his hand on his shoulder, a worried look in tow, “Hey. I’m not mad or disappointed. I just want you to understand that violence should always be the last resort, in case of self-defense, but mostly not part of the solutions to difficult moments.”</p><p>Soobin nodded, still upset-looking.</p><p>“Anyways, we should go... Does any of you need a ride home?” He asked to the other teenagers.</p><p>A chorus of ‘<em>no thank you, hyung</em>’ was muttered. They all looked grim and deceived, Yeonjun included. They didn’t know what would happen to them once they all get home, or even the day after that, at school.</p><p>Seokjin nodded in confirmation and told them goodbye, before bringing Soobin back to his car, Jina and Hyunbin already waiting for them there with sad faces.</p><p>It was all grim. Soobin waved them goodbye breifly before turning around to speak with his hyung.</p><p> </p><p>Beomgyu sighed before looking weakly at his best friend with an eyebrow raised, “So, I assume you won’t sleepover tonight?” He said in a bitter tone. Yeonjun looked at him sadly while shaking his head. It was at times like that they needed each other’s support but they both knew that their parents wouldn’t find it remotely funny. His own father would probably know about it by the end of the day. Dread took him again.</p><p>Beomgyu also looked like he was a little afraid of going home. Taehyun just looked mad, still frowning at his boyfriend in anger and worry. Yeonjun let them have their own moment by going to the side against the school’s wall further away, where Beomgyu’s driver was waiting to take the two vampires home.</p><p>Yeonjun couldn’t hear them exactly but he had his ears that did the work for him. He was still half fidgety from all the stares he was receiving.</p><p>“Are you going to be fine?” Taehyun softly asked. “Your dad won’t be mad, I hope.”</p><p>“I really don’t know... I mean, you know how he can be. It’ll be like the lottery.” Beomgyu tried to joke but Taehyun wasn’t having it. He stared at Beomgyu in a calculating way until the small smile that Beomgyu tried to hold fell. Yeonjun could just sense from there that Beomgyu wanted to be hugged.</p><p>Taehyun must’ve felt it, too, because he took a step further to his boyfriend and held his gaze. Beomgyu winced a little, hands twitching from wanting to hold his boyfriend’s.</p><p>“Text me when you’re home. And call me as soon as you talk to him, okay?”</p><p>“Don’t you have a math test in two days?”</p><p>“I don’t care about that. I care about you.” Taehyun scoffed. That made Yeonjun smile, and it also worked for Beomgyu who looked at little more relieved.</p><p>Yeonjun really hoped that this mess of a situation wouldn’t break them as a couple. They were great together.</p><p>“Thank you, Hyunnie. I will.”</p><p>“Okay... I’ll wait for your text, then.”</p><p> </p><p>“How are you going home?”</p><p>“I’m waiting for Chae to finish then we’ll walk together.”</p><p>“Okay. Please be careful. If anyone bother you, you text me immediately, okay?”</p><p>“Alright...”</p><p>“I’m being serious, Hyunnie!”</p><p>“I know... I really will.”</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>They were just rambling to stay together longer at this point. Yeonjun rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Beomgyu...” Yeonjun muttered as he dragged the last syllable. He knew that the younger would hear him from there. They had great hearing in general, but after years of friendship they were overly perceptive with each other’s voices and presence.</p><p>Beomgyu sighed and smiled one last time at Taehyun before walking away from his boyfriend.</p><p>He caught up with Yeonjun who was already walking to the car. They got in quickly, ignoring the constant eyes on them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“God,” Beomgyu sighed once they were in the confine of the window tinted car. “How did this even happen...”</p><p>“Gunhee is an asshole. That’s how.” Yeonjun grumbled, looking at the scenery roll around through the tinted window.</p><p>“I’m just... it had to be from him. In that setting...” Beomgyu sighed as he rhythmically hut his head against the car window. “My dad is going to disown me.”</p><p>“He’s not,” Yeonjun chuckled at his best friend’s dramatic antics. Beomgyu sighed even louder, but Yeonjun looked at him just to make sure that Beomgyu understood, “He’s really not!”</p><p>“How do you know that?” Beomgyu asked in dejection.</p><p>“No matter how harsh he can be with you, you’re still his son, Beomie. He could ground you but he won’t disown you. You’re all he has.”</p><p>Beomgyu stared him back with his trembling a little, like they always did when he was thinking about something disturbing.</p><p>“Sometimes it feels like I’m not. Like I’m as disposable as the rest of the people in his life.” Beomgyu whispered. Yeonjun’s eyes darted at the rear view mirror, and found Beomgyu’s driver looking at them.</p><p>He nudged at his best friend before throwing a pointed look towards the front of the car. Beomgyu understood immediately before saying, “We’ll talk about it later.”</p><p>“Anyways... I have to worry about my own father... He isn’t only going to disown me, he’ll probably scream until his voice runs out. But what’s new, I guess...” Yeonjun huffed. Beomgyu gave him a ‘I feel you’ look and patted his thigh affectionately in reassurance.</p><p>“If he goes too far, you can text me and I’ll send a car to the willow tree.” Beomgyu said earnestly. Yeonjun nodded gratefully.</p><p>It was a thing they did sometimes when Yeonjun would fight too hard with his parents and needed to get away. He would run to the willow tree in the park a couple blocks away from his house. At times, he would wait for Beomgyu, just so they can talk and vent out, but most of the time, Yeonjun would wait for Beomgyu’s driver to come get him. Then, he would directly go to Beomgyu’s bedroom to talk everything out, watch a movie while cuddling, and eat comfort food (although they don’t have any taste to them, they still appreciated the feeling of it).</p><p>It worked well. It was a good comfort method that they had started back when they were 10 and 12 years old.</p><p>“Thanks Beomie.”</p><p>“No problem, hyung. We’ll get through this together. We’ll all get through this.” Beomgyu tried to sound hopeful but they both knew that it would be a long way to have things go back to normal. If it ever would. They lived in a bigoted small town after all.</p><p>If it wasn’t for the prejudices against vampires, them being attracted to their own gender would make things worse. Yeonjun shivered at the thought.</p><p> </p><p>Soon, the car stopped in front of his house. He thanked the driver, and looked at Beomgyu.</p><p>“Text each other if things go south?” Yeonjun asked in a lilt. Beomgyu’s smile looked painful to muster. His hands were fisting the fabric of his uniform’s jacket under his winter coat.</p><p>Yeonjun quickly took his hand, “I’m going to keep it real. I’m scared, you are too. Things could go really wrong, but... remember we have each other okay? You have Taehyun and I have Soobin... We’ll make it.” Yeonjun said seriously to his shaky best friend. Beomgyu nodded robotically before gulping and smiling at him gratefully.</p><p>“Okay... right. You’re right, hyung.”</p><p>“Alright. Good luck. Text me.” He reminded him. Beomgyu smiled and Yeonjun closed his door to walk fast inside of his home. But not without looking back at the slick car driving away, feeling like Beomgyu was still looking at him, as if he was hanging on to him as a last form of support.</p><p>He understood and smiled at the car one last time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“How was your day, Junnie?” His mother asked him with that warm smile of hers. When he was younger, Yeonjun had been convinced that his mother wasn’t a vampire but some kind of magic fae that was there to make him feel safe all the time. The thought still resurfaced now, years later; that was how much of a great mother Choi Chaerin was.</p><p>“It was fine, mom.” Yeonjun answered quickly.</p><p>They were supposed to eat tonight, and Yeonjun was already nervous about that. He was even more nervous about his father arriving. Currently he was in the living room with his mother.</p><p>She was the coolest mother he could ask for, honestly.</p><p>He loved to hang out with her, when she could. She was a lawyer in a big law practice in the neighboring town, so she could be quite busy. Still, they both liked to work side by side in the living room, tv - showing the news - on. Yeonjun would do his homework and she would fo her own work. Any excuse to spend time, without having his father bothering him.</p><p>“You’re sure, baby? You look a little fidgety. Did something happened?” She asked in worry. He loved her to death, but she was a worrier. It was in her nature as a mother, shealways said to that.</p><p> </p><p>Well, for once her worry was called for, “Hum— No... I— I’ll talk about it when dad will be there.” He answered cryptically. He wondered if talking about it with his mother would make things easier. She sure would be okay with all of this. She was against Yeonjun drinking normal blood, but she also didn’t want him to die of thirst. It was all really complicated for her.</p><p>Yeonjun actually felt guilty to lie to her the way he did. It would reassure her so much, to know that Yeonjun was drinking blood that didn’t burn him from the inside.</p><p>He was scared, though.</p><p>She was his father’s Destined.</p><p>They had a soulmate connection that was technically stronger that their mother-son bond.</p><p>That’s what made her unable to actively do something about Yeonjun’s father forcing him to drink normal blood.</p><p>That was also what made him lie. She would have a hard time to lie to her husband because of the bond. It was all really weird and confusing.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun was scared of the bond.</p><p>It seemed like you ended up depending a lot on this other person. One way or another. You end up needing this person.</p><p>He liked to have his independence. He didn’t want to depend on anyone, really.</p><p> </p><p>(Red tinted dimples and shy awkward smiles flashed his mind. But he ignored it.)</p><p> </p><p>His mother nodded slowly, looking at him in a calculating way, like she always did like she felt like her was hiding something from her. It was the fierce lawyer in her.</p><p>“Okay, darling,” she ended up sighing, “I have to prepare food for tonight anyways.”</p><p>Yeonjun chuckled at her usual joke, “Again, mom. It’s not preparing dinner if all you do is set the table for fancy glasses and pull out bags of blood.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes as she pulled out the fancy glasses and the rest of the stuff to set the table, “I have to make you comfortable and well, baby. Since your father is making you... Yeah.” She trailed off sadly. Like she always did when they mentioned blood.</p><p>In times like this Yeonjun did what he always did when his mother felt remotely sad. He walked to her to give her a backhug. She loved those and he did too. It wasn’t warm since neither of them had any body temperature, but it felt nice.</p><p>“It’s okay, mom.” He muttered. He was actually madder at his father for making her go through that, than for making him risk his own life.</p><p>“I just— You’re my <em>baby</em>. I want you to live your life to the fullest. And here you have this damn disease that just...” she sighed, “I can’t handle you coughing up more blood, honey. I hurt when you hurt.”</p><p>“Mom, please. We talked about this. Things will change.” Yeonjun tried to reassure her vaguely. She sighed again, probably unconvinced and turned around to hug him properly.</p><p>“My baby is becoming so mature... I can’t believe that.” She almost whimpered. Yeonjun hugged her tightly.</p><p>He truly loved his mother.</p><p>They hugged for for almost a minute before he heard her sniffing at him briefly.</p><p>“What’s that smell, honey?” She said as she sniffed him a little more. He froze.</p><p>“Nothing, I— mom, stop.” He whined as she was about to do it more. He quickly pulled away from her.</p><p>“You smell sweet, Junnie.” She said with a small smile, “But it’s not from an artificial scent. What is it?”</p><p>Yeonjun gulped. Images of him and Soobin cuddling in the bathroom stall flashed in his mind, “Well-“</p><p> </p><p>His father entered the living room before he could finish his sentence. Yeonjun’s nonexistent heart jumped in dread.</p><p>His father was a harsh vampire. He had been there for more than a hundred years. Yeonjun liked to think that it explained so much about his character.</p><p>It sure explained his coldness. Choi Yookwon had went through a lot in those years. Experiences that had formed this unbreakable shell of his.</p><p>“Hi, honey,” Chaerin said as she walked to her husband to kiss him quickly. His father could be as distant as possible, he still had the biggest soft spot for his mother.</p><p>That was what bothered him in this whole Destined concept.</p><p>You were emotionally and psychically connected to your Destined.</p><p>But that didn’t mean you would do the same for your kids, or the rest of your family.</p><p>Choi Yookwon loved his wife. That was a fact.</p><p>What Yeonjun was wondering was, if he loved him, though. Since he came out to his parents it was a recurring question trotting his mind.</p><p>Sometimes, it felt like it was more resentment and indifference than love in this father-son relationship than anything else.</p><p>“How was your day?” Chaerin asked after her husband greeted her with a kiss.</p><p>His father sighed and walked to the kitchen with her, “Really busy. I had to animate three conferences with professors from all over the continent. Remarkable vampires, too.” He walked at end of the table and sat on his usual throne-like armchair — a gift from an army comrade that he saved during the Korean war. Yeonjun fidgeted when his gaze fell on him. His father always made him nervous when he was on this chair.</p><p>“I tried to call you but you didn’t answer.” His mother pointed out as she served the human blood in the glasses. Yeonjun was standing next to her, hovering over the chair he was supposed to sit on. He was waiting for the ball to fall.</p><p>“Yeah. My phone was off the whole day. They had a strict policy back at the university.” His father explained. He eyed Yeonjun until the vampire reluctantly sat on the chair, ready to feed.</p><p>“Oh, okay. That’s fine. Did your lecture went well?”</p><p>“It did. A Vietnamese colleague of mine especially had some insightful arguments about our blood cells and on how we healed faster than other species.” He said as his wife placed the glass in front of him and in front of herself. She hesitantly placed another one in front of Yeonjun with significantly less blood in it. He thanked her quietly and she kissed his head as an answer. She had that apologetic look again. Yeonjun hated that look.</p><p>“And what was said about it?”</p><p>“A lot of technical terms and explanation, really. But, it was said that the fact that our body had been shut down at some point and the chemical reaction in our blood cells to the vampirism gave them a newfound strength that was incomparable to other species. What he forgot to say was, that’s what make us superior.” His father joked. Yeonjun didn’t react except for a bad feeling churning in his stomach. His mother, though, chuckled for the sake of it. She loved him after all, despite his backward thinking.</p><p>“So, Yeonjun. It’s been a long time, huh? Always staying at Beomgyu’s...” Yeonjun pressed his lips in a thin line and nodded. He knew that his father couldn’t say anything about Beomgyu because he had some business deals with Beomgyu’s father.</p><p>“How was your day? I’ve got some missed calls from Shinho an hour ago, and he only calls when something happened in school that I should be informed of.” His father said with a calculating gaze as he drank his blood. Shinho was one of the vampire school’s assistant to the principal, and was his father’ acquaintances. Yeonjun felt shivered go through his body in dread. He hadn’t touched his glass either. The sight of normal blood made him want to throw his guts out, lately.</p><p>He cleared his throat and shakily breathed out, he looked at his glass while the attention was all on him, now.</p><p>“Well, it went okay... We got our english and science test back and I got an A and an A+.” He muttered. He wanted to start with good news. They cared about his grades but, at least, they weren’t all up his business, since things came easy to him with school. (He still worked hard despite that. He had to get out of there.)</p><p>“That’s amazing, sweetie. I’m so proud of you.” His mother smiled before raising her hand to give him an hi-five and a fist bump. She was just so cool.</p><p>His father simply nodded in approval. He was about to say something else when his wife shushed him.</p><p>“Look, it’s about that crazy wolf who kidnapped her child.” His mother interrupted him to turn up the volume of the TV.</p><p> </p><p>“.<em>.. It’s been a month since Choi Minhyuk and Choi Yina were arrested for child endangerment and child abuse. It seemed that a court date was set to settle her sentence. The children victim’s custody battle will also be decided on that date.</em>” A blurred picture of Soobin, Jina and Hyunbin were shown and Yeonjun’s stomach jumped. At least they got to keep their identity a secret, thanks to Seokjin. Yeonjun didn’t know what he would have said to his parents if he had been on TV, which would have been likely, since he was pretty involved in the whole thing.</p><p> </p><p>The newscaster continued, “<em>That scandal also put a light on the mistreatment of children in rather conservative household.</em>”</p><p>The images Soobin’s mother’s mugshot were switch to a man, a child therapist. “<em>Children that live in more conservative household tend to live in a pressure that is set by their parents, simply because the rule enforced are not only imposed by their kins but by some grander authority that is the micro-society they live in or religion. This affects their worldview, but also their behavior in their adult lives. Cases like the Chois’ behavior is not complete new, especially in our country. Parents that enforce those kind of values should be more open to listen to their children if they want them to thrive in their social and professional life, later on.</em>”</p><p>Yeonjun nodded slightly at the words. The words of the therapist resonated so much with his own situation. Maybe that was why he kind of related to Soobin so much.</p><p>“<em>The children of the Choi couple are now living in a more secure home but the upcoming battle for their definitive place to live will not be easy as planned. As their one of their son is part of the few male one...</em>” The volume of the TV was suddenly muted.</p><p>Yeonjun’s head snapped at his father who was shaking his head.</p><p>“Yookwon, I was watching this! Heeyeon is going to defend them at court.” His mother hissed at him. Yeonjun gaped at her. He had no idea that his aunt Heeyeon was going to be their lawyer for the trial. That was reassuring though, he knew that his aunt was an amazing lawyer. He’d have to tell Soobin.</p><p>His father rolled his eyes, “I’m muting this because that’s just another case of wolves being barbaric. Only them could do that to their children. That woman should not be an example of what not to do. Being conservative has nothing to do with her behavior.” He hissed at his glass. Yeonjun wanted to scoff internally. He was one to talk. Forcing him to drink the equivalent of poison just because of his stupid values.</p><p>His mother poured her husband some more blood, “Don’t be ridiculous. Being a wolf has nothing to do with being abusive. That therapist was onto something when he talked about the conservative mindset that leads to neglecting your children in some ways. Obviously it is not always the case, but the odds of being abusive to your child - verbally, mostly - while being conservative are far greater than being abusive and more open-minded, dear.” She pointed out smartly. His mother was his inspiration. She adapted really well to her surroundings and to the people she were with - even his father.</p><p>Still, Yeonjun, once again, wondered how people that had such different state of mind were Destined. It made no sense whatsoever.</p><p>“I’m more on the conservative side and I’m not abusive towards our son,” his father pointed out, looking at Yeonjun in confirmation. Yeonjun didn’t answer and avoided his gaze because, seriously?</p><p>It was like he was doing it on purpose, sometimes. Just to taunt him. It was ridiculous, really.</p><p>The silence that followed was extremely tense, making his mother fidget. He only looked at his glass that he hadn’t touched since the beginning of the dinner. His father was staring at him so intensely that it made him shifty. Yeonjun wasn’t going to budge, though.</p><p>His mother cleared her throat and sipped her blood, “... Anyways. This woman is probably deranged, so I admit that the case here is special. From what I heard, her son is a male omega and that pushed her anger onto him especially, that poor child.” Yeonjun tensed immediately, instinctively cowering a little at the mention of Soobin.</p><p>At that same moment, a phone buzzed.</p><p>It was his father’s and he was using it with focus, dismissing the tension in the air that he previously shared with his son.</p><p>“He’s in your school isn’t he, sweetie? I didn’t know that we had a male omega in this small town.” She carried the conversation. Yeonjun nodded nervously, hands holding the napkin that was set for him tightly. His mother noticed the change of demeanor and gave him an unreadable look.</p><p>“It would’ve been great if we had asked him. For you, I mean,” she said in passing, but Yeonjun felt his cheeks heating up. He had to calm down, <em>seriously</em>. “Well, his mother would’ve probably said no. But it makes you thi—“</p><p>“What?!” His father interrupted her in a hiss.</p><p>Yeonjun’s jerked at the intensity of the tone. He dared peeking at his father and he was glaring at him.</p><p>Yeonjun never felt scared of his father per say, he generally felt nervousness and dread around him. Simply because his father was intense. His sharp features matched his sharp words. It was years of life and loosing people he cared about that made him this way. He was a powerful vampire that always got his way. People bowed down to him, because he expressed unprecedented power and strength - physically and mentally. Yeonjun, though, had known him and seen him in positions where he was more vulnerable, simply because his own mother was his father’s weakness. So, he knew what his father was capable to do to someone who angered him, but he also knew that his mother would always be there to protect Yeonjun if it ever came to that.</p><p>That’s why it was more shrilling nerves that took him when their gazes locked than fear for his life.</p><p>“Yeonjun. <em>What did you do</em>?” He asked again. Yeonjun held his gaze but he felt his whole body unable to respond nor move.</p><p>“What happened, Kwon?” His mother asked in genuine confusion. She took the phone from his hands and read whatever was in it that made his father’s eyes glow a piercing, unnatural red.</p><p>Once she finished reading, she looked at her son in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeonjun... you’re involved with that omega?”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun gulped, and his body started moving on his own accord. He pulled away from the table and got up from his chair. He had to leave his place, right now.</p><p> </p><p>“Where do you think you’re going?” His father asked icily, making Yeonjun stop immediately.</p><p>“I— I need to go—“</p><p>“Sweetie, just explain what is going on? Shinho said that some students talked about you going to an hotel together every Saturday... what happened?” His mother asked carefully.</p><p>He winced and closed his eyes. It just sounded so wrong. So... inappropriate and filthy. Words that represented the contrary of what Soobin was to him.</p><p>He couldn’t say anything, though and just stayed where he was, avoiding his parent’s piercing gazes. They both had rose from their respective chairs at this point.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeonjun. Answer. <em>Now</em>.” His father seethed.</p><p> </p><p>“I— I... We’re just friends. There’s nothing sexual going on between us.” He winced at his justification. He shouldn’t have started with that.</p><p>“So it’s true? You’re involved with a... with a wolf.” His father spat the last word with so much venom that Yeonjun flinched.</p><p>“Why were you seen at an hotel, Junnie?” His mother asked softly. God blessed her patience. She was the only reason he hadn’t left running.</p><p>“We just... We were just—“</p><p>“Are you dating him?” She cut him.</p><p>His head snapped towards her. Her eyes were glowing an almost fluorescent green, “No! We just— I asked him to do a favor for me and we just—“</p><p>His father interrupted him with wide eyes, “A favor? Yeonjun, you didn’t... You asked for his...” he couldn’t finish his sentence.</p><p>His mother looked confused for a second before her eyes widened and she stared at him with an hopeful smile but sad eyes.</p><p>“Honey... You asked for his blood?”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun’s gaze switched between his father and his mother but decidedly stayed on his mother who looked way more okay with everything. “I— I did, mom.”</p><p> </p><p>As soon as he said it, his father growled and flipped a table that carried a precious vase on it, next to where he stood. The table flew above the dining table and broke against the wall opposing to where Yeonjun was, but he still flinched.</p><p>“You disobeyed me?!” His father raged in as he took a chair and threw it, too. His mother was by Yeonjun’s side in the blink of an eye, hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“I just— I didn’t want to get sicker and—“</p><p>“So you ignored my words and defied my authority as your father!” He translated Yeonjun’s words. He was walking slowly to them and his mother still had a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“Yookwon! Calm down!” She hissedat her husband. His father stopped and looked at her. His eyes drained if their glowing red to dull down to a tamer blood red.</p><p>“You’re nothing but a brat... I should’ve known that you were up to something each Saturdays. Ever since you became attracted to men you’ve never—“</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh, he had had enough of that.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“—Me being gay has <em>nothing</em> to do with it!” He cut off his father sharply, “Dad, do you realize that I was going to die? Does that ever come to your mind when you force me to drink blood?!”</p><p>“Yeonjunie , please calm down,” his mother pleaded, but he had enough. His father didn’t care about anything other than himself.</p><p>“No!” He said sharply, “Mom, I love you so much. I really do, but I’ll never understand how you, such a caring person, ended up with someone who doesn’t even care about his own son!”</p><p>The words must have been shocking because anger left his father’s face to leave place to a gobsmacked, incredulous frown.</p><p>“What are you talking about? I work my ass off to provide for you and all I ask is—“</p><p>“You rather let me <em>die</em> of a slow <em>painful</em> death than put aside your pride five minutes to help me survive, dad! You don’t <em>love</em> me. Maybe, before, you did. At some point. But clearly since I came out you stopped caring. Then, you stopped loving me altogether.” Yeonjun was crying by that time. Tears were just flowing freely.</p><p>His father looked at him in silence, with an unreadable expression.</p><p>His mother interjected, “Yeonjun don’t say tha—“</p><p>“Mom, please just face the facts! The only reason he didn’t let me die of hunger was because you did something about it! He would’ve let me stranded right then and there in the doctor’s office when they told us about my disease, otherwise. Every time I cough blood or that I throw up, he has this look of disgust and indifference... you don’t care about me, dad.” His last words were hard to decipher because he was sobbing.His father didn’t say anything, again. His mother tried to comfort him but he harshly pulled away from her.</p><p>“I don’t want comfort! I want you to care about me enough to not let me die! I never even imagined that this was too much to ask before I fell ill...” He shivered as he let out those last words.</p><p>His father snapped out of his speechlessness and pointed at him, “All I asked from you was to not interact with filthy wolves and you couldn’t do that, so how do you want me to—“</p><p>“To what?! <em>To care</em>?! You’re my <em>father</em>, for god’s sake! Shouldn’t I matter more than your stupid backwards ideas on wolves?!”</p><p>That shut his father up again.</p><p>“That omega— Soobin. In the span of a single week, he showed more that he actually cared about me than you did in the last five years, dad! He was in this abusive home! His mother terrified him! There were time where he couldn’t eat because he didn’t have straight As! He was left stranded and alone at the worst times! He had nothing...” he whimpered, “A normal person wouldn’t have any place in his mind or heart to help someone else, but he still did. He risked <em>everything</em> to help me, because he saw that I was helpless. I was a complete stranger back then and he still showed more care for me than my own father did!” Yeonjun pointed out in incredulity. It was just outraging and ridiculous.</p><p>“He’s a wolf. So what? He’s an omega.<em> So what</em>?! He saved me from dying of a painful death. He saved mom from dealing with losing me. Hell! He saved the last remaining of faith I had in love!” He was just rambling at this point, but he had all those words on his chest for far too long.</p><p> </p><p>Silence invaded the living room.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you saying?” His mother muttered criptically.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m saying that I think that he’s my Destined!” He blurted out.</p><p> </p><p>It was like time froze.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t even thought about it openly before that actual moment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soobin was his Destined.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He looked at his parents and they were both staring at him with various degrees of disbelief. He must have been looking at them with that same expression.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeonjun...”</p><p> </p><p>It was what snapped him out of his stupor and made him walk away from the room. From this whole situation.</p><p>When he took his coat, phone and keys and walked out from his home, he heard another crash.</p><p> </p><p>He ignored it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about that?” Beomgyu asked carefully.</p><p>Yeonjun had ran to the willow tree, a text to Beomgyu already sent. He had waited for the car to come get him for five minutes. When he arrived Beomgyu was looking at him with his own grim expression. Yet, Yeonjun blurted out his own worries instead, the pressure in his chest being unbearable.</p><p>Now they were in Beomgyu’s room, drinking tea, because the warmness of hot water felt comforting.</p><p>When they walked in the depth of his mansion, Yeonjun noticed that Beomgyu’s father was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t comment on it right away, though. They were currently dealing with his own crisis.</p><p>“Yeah... I don’t really know what happened in my mind. It just came out of nowhere. The thought had been trotting in my mind for weeks, but I just... suppressed it? But when I was yelling out everything that I have been carrying inside, at my parents and I started talking about Soobin...” he held a hand to his chest, holding in a tight grip the cover he was under, “It’s like my brain just shut down and it did that last jump I was afraid to do and it all concluded to... that.” Yeonjun explained awkwardly. He shifted on his best friend’s bed and snuggled further the soft blankets, holding his mug closer to him. Beomgyu was still staring at the ceiling in contemplation since they had arrived and even when Yeonjun changed his comfortable clothes to lay down.</p><p>“I can’t believe you found your Destined...” Beomgyu muttered, “I mean... It kind of makes sense, but still...”</p><p>Yeonjun stared at his best friend who was still staring at the ceiling in daze, “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I mean that you never cared about other vampires to begin with? Like, remember Wooyoung? He was so into you, and he was your type, too - according to those Cosmo quizzes we took, at least — but you just wouldn’t give in.”</p><p>“Because I was in a rough time with my dad! I just had came out!”</p><p>“But you met Soobin at literally the worst time with your father, that didn’t keep you from giving him heart eyes every time he would so much as look in your direction.” Beomgyu pointed out sternly, still staring at the ceiling in daze.</p><p>Yeonjun frowned at his words.</p><p>Probably because they were true.</p><p>He sighed and put down his mug to lie down properly in bed, in the same fashion as his best friend.</p><p>“It’s not a bad thing at all... I think it’s cute.” Beomgyu commented.</p><p>“Yeah, but from all the people, it had to be someone who’s species is everything my dad despise...”</p><p>Beomgyu looked at him for that, with a frown, “that’s not fair to Soobin hyung... You know he didn’t choose to be who he is.” Yeonjun looked at him guilty. Beomgyu was right, “And why do you care about that, anyways? Since when do you care about what your dad think?”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun sighed, “I just wished that he was like my mother. Or at least more supportive about it. You should’ve seen my mother when I told them about the blood drinking. She looked so relieved. It made me feel so good about my choice. Then my dad came up with all this crap about disobeying him for the sake of it and the problem was about me being gay, it’s just...”</p><p>“Bullshit. Big loads of bullshit.” Beomgyu finished for him.</p><p>“Yeah,” he sighed again.</p><p>Then they just stared at the ceiling in silence.</p><p> </p><p>“I dont even know how it works with different species, this whole Destined thing. If he’s mine, does it mean that I’m his... Mate, was it?” Beomgyu nodded at him, “Yeah, mate. I just— What if i’m not his mate?”</p><p> </p><p>Beomgyu sighed, “I know the answer to that actually. We had to kind of deal with that, with Taehyunie...”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu this time. His best friend had a sad look.</p><p>“What happened?” Yeonjun asked.</p><p>“Nothing... in particular. I just... What you described, that inner feeling of peace when Soobin is around. I felt it with Taehyun, but, once, he told me that... That he had already met his mate before.”</p><p>Yeonjun stared at his best friend in disbelief. Beomgyu looked defeated now.</p><p>“He did?”</p><p>“... I’m not even supposed to tell you that, but yeah. He didn’t even tell Soobin about it because it was during a weekend where his mother had locked him up about grades or something dumb,” anger briefly took Yeonjun but he reigned it down to listen at his best friend, “Apparently he had went to the hospital for his sister who had a bad flu, but he met his mate in the waiting room. They both felt it, he said, but his mate completely ignored it... It was a male alpha and he was not out of the closet. His mate was probably never going to come out or admit that he was attracted to guys, either, because he <em>rejected</em> their bond, right then and there. Taehyun didn’t feel it ever since. His mate just shut him down for good.”</p><p>Yeonjun gaped at his best friend. He didn’t know that wolves could do that. It was more complicated than that for vampires. The bond for vampires was so strong that even years of being apart, even miles wouldn’t break it.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, I cannot imagine what that felt like...”</p><p>“Well, it hurt him. <em>Bad</em>. Sometimes when we’re hanging out and we’re having a good time, he looks at me in that way. Fond but a little <em>sad</em>, too. I have this... irrational fear that he’ll leave me for his mate if that bastard actually come to his senses about how amazing Taehyun is.” Beomgyu’s voice was shaky. Yeonjun cooed internally and silently took him in a side hug and rested his cheek against the blond’s shoulder. Beomgyu rested his head against his hair and sighed.</p><p>“I'm sorry Gyu... I don’t know what to say to make you feel better, but knowing Taehyun, he wouldn’t give that asshole a second chance after this. That being said, I understand your worry. Have you considered talking about it with him?”</p><p>Beomgyu chuckled bitterly, “No... I’m scared of his answer. I don’t even know if that bond cutting is definitive or not. Apparently, that hospital was back in the neighboring city so there’s low chance that they ever meet again since that it is a huge hospital and people from all over the region come there... Still, I feel something, like psychically... I feel like he’s my Destined. And I’m... not his mate.” Beomgyu choked up on his last words.</p><p>Yeonjun held him tighter as Beomgyu cried silently. He gently wiped up the stray tears and let Beomgyu let all of his worries out in shape of tears.</p><p>“I think you need to talk to him, Beomie... You guys are still young. Soobin and I, too. You literally have your whole life to figure that out, okay? I’m so sorry that I don’t have happier words for you... but focus on right now. How does he make you feel, right now?”</p><p>Beomgyu took time to answer but eventually muttered, “He makes me feel like I’m always flying. It’s terrifying but so exciting and freeing, too.”</p><p>Yeonjun nodded, not making any comment on the words, “and how do you think you make him feel?”</p><p>That was a harder question obviously, since Beomgyu had to be honest about what he thought was the truth, “I think I make him feel happy. And calm. He told me that once. That my constant agitation made him feel calm and soothed him— Yeah, I know, it was kind of weird to hear but I liked it.” Beomgyu chuckled softly but it was still shaky from the leftover tears in his voice.</p><p>“Well, that’s still a pretty freaking great feeling for the both of you. Focus on that, and communicate and I’m sure that you guys will work it out.” He said with genuine determination. He really had hope for the two. Even though they were only in high school and had a whole life ahead of them, he felt good about the couple. Then something came to his mind.</p><p> </p><p>“And... what happened with your father?”</p><p>Beomgyu’s smile fell instantly he closed his eyes.</p><p>“He wasn’t there because he had a urgent conference in Seoul. I called him, though. I just... I was sick of hiding my sexuality from him. He was going to hear about it, anyways. Taehyun is coming over a lot lately and my butler is super nice but also super devoted to my dad...”</p><p>“What did he say?”</p><p>“He was... not surprised apparently. His exact words were ‘I could tell’. He didn’t say anything else about it, though. He didn’t look mad or happy, he was just... indifferent. It was strange.” Beomgyu said as he frowned at the ceiling again. It did sound weird. They really didn’t know how his father would react. Since he’s a businessmen before anything else, he had traveled all around the world and had been confronted to cultural differences. That didn’t make him an open-minded vampire, though. That’s why it was kind of the lottery. Still, they didn’t plan indifference as one of the reactions.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you tell him about Taehyun?”</p><p>The blond sighed, “I did. That actually surprised him. I think he expected me to be with Kai...? Since, we’re so close? But, I told him that that would never happen.” They both had to laugh at that because, never in a million years would Kai ever be interested in either of them. They were like brothers.</p><p>“Then, I told him that I really liked Taehyun and he didn’t really say anything to that either. He couldn’t be opposed to interspecies relationship since my mother was human. But still... I could see that it was weird for him. Then, he told me that we would talk about it when he’ll come back home, a.k.a in two weeks.” The blond sighed against Yeonjun’s hair.</p><p>“That sucks,” he said, copying Beomgyu’s words when Yeonjun explained his own fight with his father earlier. Beomgyu chuckled weakly before exhaled loudly.</p><p> </p><p>“Life kind of sucks for all of us right now. I texted Taehyun about it vaguely and he was already so upset about the whole Gunhee thing that I left out a lot of details, just not to make him more stressed.”</p><p>“You seriously need to stop downplaying your feelings for his sake, Beomgyu.”</p><p>Beomgyu tsked and snickered, “Says the guy who decided to play ‘friends’ with his crush just so that he can stay by his side, when he’s basically your soulmate.”</p><p> </p><p>Beomgyu was right.</p><p> </p><p>Everything just... kind of sucked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The following days were pretty much the definition of annoying.</p><p>Because of the whole Gunhee bomb, the whole school knew about them and it was just so... <em>annoying</em>.</p><p>They lived in a small town after all. Being gay was barely accepted in Seoul, the capital, now imagine that in their miniscule, conservative town.</p><p>People were just annoying. Some even hateful and verbally aggressive.</p><p>The principal had took actions and along with the student council they decided to make anti bullying campaign. Yeonjun appreciated the effort but he found it sad that it had to come to this, to make it happen. Especially because Soobin has been bullied for years.</p><p>The people who were quiet about the whole ‘forced coming out thing’ were actually also the people who were mad at Gunhee for talking about something so private when it only concerned Yeonjun and Soobin, or Beomgyu and Taehyun. Most of them were humans, omegas and vampires.</p><p>Speaking of vampires, there was a common hatred for Gunhee that was born after his use of the slur and it just felt good to see his smug smile being wiped away by fear when a random vampire student bared his fangs at him in threat.</p><p> </p><p>No one had attacked them physically because of the campaign and of the principal’s warning about the repercussions that would come with bullying anyone from now on.</p><p>That didn’t mean that they couldn’t use their words.</p><p>Harsh words, even.</p><p>It was really fortunate that Taehyun was well-liked to begin with. People were more awkward with him than anything else. Some students had been almost aggressive towards him, though, but Beomgyu had practically growled at them in response and that had calmed them down immediately. Still they could hear the slurs thrown their way.</p><p>As for Beomgyu, well, he was very popular before that. Apparently his team mates were weirded out by it but no one dared doing anything to him because A) the principal’s warning had been understood. B) he was stronger than most of them, wolf and vampires included and C) he was actually a really valuable player that they couldn’t kick out of the team even if they wanted to.</p><p>Still, that was the last push that Beomgyu needed to stop consider them as friends to hang out with outside of class or practice.</p><p>Yeonjun... well he wasn’t popular, per say. He was rather a loner actually. He got along mostly well with the students in his class but didn’t look for friends despite that. He just wasn’t into socializing all that much. Maybe that was why people were harsher to him. They had no real attachment to begin with.</p><p>Still he was stronger than most of them and his glowing golden eyes were actually scary, so they left him alone. That didn’t stop some from doing something worse than shit talking him.</p><p> </p><p>Shit-talking about Soobin.</p><p> </p><p>For the whole three days of Soobin’s absence, people just went at it to insult him and call him a slut when Yeonjun was in the room. Others just gossiped about his mother’s actually pimping him and Yeonjun had paid to spend the night with him. The rest just shut up about it. Yeonjun was grateful for them.</p><p>It took everything in him not to punch those other nasty people who would say such horrible things about his Destined. But he actually wanted to graduate and leave this place so he laid low and kept his mouth shut.</p><p>His goal during the three days was to:</p><ol>
<li>Shut people up and scare enough of them away, for them to associate insulting Soobin with his frightening golden eyes</li>
<li>Make sure that Gunhee didn’t approached any of them on a ten feet radius.
</li>
<li>Make sure that Soobin would be comfortable enough when he would return.</li>
</ol><p> </p><p>They had texted everyday since the Gunhee fiasco. Soobin was still shook over the situation and had had trouble sleeping. Actually, he had called the omega on the second night just to reassure him about going back to school. Soobin was scared of other people’s opinion, but Yeonjun just repeated the same “Fuck other people” until Soobin found himself saying it too.</p><p>They had talked for hours until Soobin fell asleep, still on the phone.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Soobin came back to school on the fourth day. Yeonjun assessed his plan as pretty successful since people didn’t peep a word around Soobin. At least not in his presence and not obviously.</p><p>The circumstances made them spend a lot of time together, though, but they were still careful with how they interacted since people were still watching their every move like Hawkeyes. It was maddening, too.</p><p>Especially because since he openly admitted that Soobin was his Destined, he had been feeling that itch, that prickling need to always be near him and just touch him.</p><p>It was bad.</p><p>When they ate lunch in the music classroom, away from the prying eyes, that day, Yeonjun was all over Soobin, pulling his cheeks that he had came to find real stretchy and cute. The omega just whined and blushed in response.</p><p> </p><p>As for his parents. He hadn’t talked to his father since the fight. His mother had reached him the same night and he had just explained that he needed time and that he was safe. He knew she knew that he was at Beomgyu’s. She only texted him to ask if he was okay, after that. He always made sure to answer her.</p><p>When he explained the fight to Soobin, the omega had been so worried. He had failed to mention that the fight was mainly about his feelings for him.</p><p>Since they had agreed that they should remain friends and even if Yeonjun felt strongly for him, he wanted to respect Soobin’s wishes.</p><p> </p><p>Two weeks passed by. People were still being passive aggressive assholes but didn’t act on their hatred with more than muttered piercing words.</p><p>Something impressive happened though. As soon as someone tried to attack Soobin, there was always someone, generally another omega or a vampire to come to his defense.</p><p>It was just weird.</p><p>Maybe it was because they felt for Soobin and what had happened with his mother.</p><p>Maybe it was the ‘Soobin vs. Gunhee’ thing. People hated Gunhee more than they hated the fact that Soobin was gay or even potentially sexually-active like the alpha had implied.</p><p>So, things weren’t great, but they could be way worse.</p><p>As for Yeonjun, he hadn’t talked to his parents in two weeks. Beomgyu was happy to have him over, though.</p><p>Soobin had been really sad that he had came to such afall out with his parents, though.</p><p> </p><p>So, he convinced Beomgyu to invite them all to his house on the Friday of that week, to have a small gathering as friends, to cheer everyone up.</p><p>It baffled Yeonjun, too.</p><p>Out of all of them, Soobin was probably the most targeted to people’s judgment and hate since Gunhee had outted them. Despite that he had insisted to make this small party just to make the rest of their group happy.</p><p>His selflessness was one of Yeonjun’s favorite thing about him. Just like his eye smile, his dimples, his shyness, his amazing and soft mind, his ability to trust him with everything.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun was just really in... in <em>like</em> of him.</p><p> </p><p>(Not love, though.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Never love.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the blink of the night it was Friday night and they were all on Beomgyu’s couch watching an episode of Ru Paul’s dragrace - per Taehyun’s insistence — in a mix of wonder and immense admiration.</p><p> </p><p>“I would totally rock a wig like that,” Beomgyu commented at the sight of one of the drag queen’s luscious wave like pink wig. They all laughed at him and he whined in protest.</p><p>“Hey! I totally could!”</p><p>“No you wouldn’t, hyung. I love you, but this wig is like two times the size of your head.” Hyukah pointed out, as the rest snickered.</p><p>“I have the upper body strength for it!” Beomgyu said with a twinkling smile while his eyes were focused on a close up of said wig. “Look, the man wearing it is even Asian! It’s a sign.”</p><p>“If you call it that...” Yeonjun trailed off and his best friend hit them with a pout on.</p><p>It was nice to be able to laugh and interact without any dramas or people staring or anything.</p><p>It was just them. All together.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Let’s play truth or dare!” Kai suggested. Half of them groaned, the rest whooped.</p><p>“Not this again! Whenever we play Truth or dare, one of us ends of in underwear or out of money!” Yeonjun complained. Kai and Beomgyu laughed loudly at that.</p><p>“That’s because you suck, hyung.”</p><p>Yeonjun sighed, “Let’s take a vote. Who wants to not play?” He raised his hand and Taehyun did too. Beomgyu squawked at his boyfriend but Taehyun shrugged at him playfully.</p><p>“Okay, who wants to?” Three hands rose at the same time. Yeonjun raised his eyebrow at Soobin. It didn’t seem like his type at all.</p><p>Soobin must have read his mine because he laughed sheepishly and said, “I never played it. I feel like this is part of the high school experience, though.”</p><p>Yeonjun had already changed his mind as as soon as Soobin had smiled his way.</p><p>Beomgyu clapped excitedly, “Three against two! We won! Let’s play.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So, it’s simple, you spin the bottle, it points to someone and you ask them Truth or dare. If they don’t do the dare or answer the truth, they drink!” Beomgyu explained enthusiastically, holding the bottle of vodka he had found in his father’s cabinet. He also had a bottle of ‘alcoholized’ blood for himself. Since Yeonjun couldn’t get drunk (except if drank Soobin’s blood after the omega drank, but they hadn’t really talked about it.)</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone got it?” Kai asked, to what the rest nodded, so he clapped his hands and said, “I’ll start!”</p><p>He spun the bottle harshly and waited for it to stop. After lots of loops it stopped on Taehyun. Once again, some whoops and cheerings and one groan.</p><p>“So... Taehyun hyung, Truth or Dare?”</p><p>“Ugh,” Taehyun whined before crossing his legs, “Truth.”</p><p>They all waited for Kai in anticipation except Taehyun who was fidgeting in nerve.</p><p>“... How far did you and Beomgyu went?”</p><p>They all stared at Taehyun who seemed to have a mini mental breakdown at the question.</p><p>“I don’t think I understand your question...” Taehyun muttered out but they weren’t having it. Nobody was fooled by his shyness.</p><p>“What I mean is how far did you explore your intimate relationship together.” Kai said in a delicate way to mock Taehyun.</p><p>“I don’t want to answer that,” he protested. Kai laughed and took the vodka bottle and handed it towards him.</p><p>“Then drink.”</p><p>Taehyun paused on the bottle and moments later he huffed and cleared his throat.</p><p>“Fine... We went to second base.” He said with a red blush that Beomgyu shared but in yellow. The vampire was fidgeting but he was still smiling fondly at Taehyun.</p><p>“So, basically you made out and went above the belt. Good to know. I’m surprised that you never had sex, though.” Kai said wittily and Taehyun glared at him playfully.</p><p>“Why do you even need even need to know? And why would we even have sex now? We’ve only been dating for a month now!”</p><p>“Because Beomgyu is a horny little—“</p><p>“—Okay! Hyun it’s your turn! Kai, you shut up.” Beomgyu hastily interrupted his human best friend. The whole room snickered except for Taehyun that was redder than ever.</p><p>After he composed himself he spun the bottle and it fell on Yeonjun.</p><p>“Truth or dare, hyung?”</p><p>“Truth!” He said without thinking. He gulped at Taehyun’s smirk.</p><p>“Since I know that you two are emotionally constipated, I’ll be simple. How far did you guys go while you drank Soobin’s blood?”</p><p>“What’s with the stupid questions about our... intimate... life?”</p><p>“I’m curious. Sue me. And answer!”</p><p>Taehyun smirked before hi-fiving his boyfriend who was cackling with Hyukah.</p><p>Yeonjun cleared his throat and threw a brief glance at Soobin who’s ears were on fire.</p><p>They could be pretty intense when they were in the moment. There was even a time where Yeonjun had to finish their drinking session earlier because he had to... take care of himself. When he had came back in the room, he avoided Soobin’s look like the plague.</p><p>“Oh, that’s a great question hyung! I always wondered what went on behind closed doors.” Kai said with an evil smile.</p><p>“Aren’t you supposed to take care of the hotel? Why are you thinking of such things? You’re a baby!”</p><p>“I’m 16 and bored, hyung. Answer the question.” He answered in Taehyun’s fashion.</p><p>He stammered and sighed, avoiding Soobin’s gaze, “Well, We never even kissed. I mean there was some neck kissing here and there,” Beomgyu whooped at that and Yeonjun rolled his eyes, “but that’s pretty much it.”</p><p>“Is that so? Because a little birdy told me that he felt some... what’s the word? ‘<em>Arousal and feeling of stomach-coaling pleasure</em>’ while their blood was being drank.”</p><p>“Taehyun!” Soobin hissed at him in shock, “I told you that in private,” he was blushing like a tomato at this point, hiding his face in his hands after Taehyun shrugged mischievously. Yeonjun just stared at him in disbelief.</p><p>So, it wasn’t only him, then. He found himself smiling despite the embarrassment he felt.</p><p>“Gosh, look at them! This is too good!” Beomgyu was laughing so hard that it was resonating in the play room they were in.</p><p>“So, what I am hearing here is that Tomato and Lemon over there are getting it on each Saturday?” Kai snickered.</p><p>Soobin interjected, “No we are not! We’re just... really cuddly and clingy for like thirty to forty five minutes after... the arousal is just a direct effect of the intimacy that blood drinking to the source ha—“</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Don’t make babies and no one will say anything.” Taehyun cut him playfully.</p><p>“You’re so dumb, Hyun! They can’t even have babies.” Beomgyu was almost crying from how hard he laughed and it was infectious, too.</p><p>Taehyun chuckled, “Actually, Soobin can.”</p><p>The laughing stopped immediately to be replaced by going and gasps of wonder. Soobin was going to combust.</p><p>“Seriously? How is that even possible?”</p><p>He fidgeted in embarrassment, “... male omega, remember? My body is like, made for that... that’s why it’s so rare and— Whatever! Can we please move on, I’m going to die from how hot it’s in here!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Yeonjun hyung, your turn.” Kai said but Yeonjun was still staring at Soobin in shock.</p><p>Soobin could get pregnant. What the actual fuck.</p><p>That boy really was an amazement in every way, his brain supplied.</p><p>“Please, stop looking at me like that and spin the bottle,” the omega begged after Yeonjun hadn’t snapped out of his stupor.</p><p>He shook his head to come back to sanity and took the bottle to spin it. It fell on Beomgyu. Everyone cheered when it did, Beomgyu included.</p><p>“Truth or dare, Beomie?”</p><p>“Let’s spice things up! Dare!” Beomgyu answered in excitement. He could barely stay seated at this point and they were all laughing at/with him, because it was so ridiculous and adorable at the same time.</p><p>“So, Beomie! I dare you two things and you choose. Either take three shots of alcoblood on someone’s stomach without using your hands in less than 30 seconds,” he heard a gasp but ignored it, “or... you sing out the reasons why you like Taehyun in the tune of Twice’s Fancy. The whole song, of course” he smirked. And for once Beomgyu wasn’t smiling. Actually his eye was twitching as the others were congratulating Yeonjun for his great dare (except Taehyun).</p><p>“So? What do you choose?” Yeonjun asked after some time.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll choose the first one! Also, Taehyun, lay down, I’m doing it on you.” Beomgyu almost demanded as he took the alcoblood with a look of determination. Taehyun was not having it, though.</p><p>“Why do I have to be in both of the dares, huh?”</p><p>“Because you’re my boyfriend and everyone here is evil. Now, lay down and don’t move.”</p><p>Taehyun grumbled but reluctantly did what was asked. Yeonjun could see a little spark of excitement in his eyes, though.</p><p>Yeonjun poured the potent alcoblood in the three shots and once Taehyun raised his shirt and that everyone whistled because he was toner than expected, Beomgyu careful put each shots on it stomach.</p><p>“Dear God... I have blood on my stomach,” Taehyun freaked out a little but he was more laughing in disbelief than getting mad, “I hate you, hyung. I wanted to tell you that.” He said to Yeonjun who winked at him in response.</p><p>Once they attached Beomgyu’s hands behind his back they were ready to start the chronometer.</p><p>“Okay, Hyunnie, don’t move and it’ll be quick.”</p><p>“Please don’t pour blood all over me.”</p><p>“I’ll try my best,” he reassured with a soft look but a mischievous smile, if that combination was possible.</p><p>Soon the rest of the boys started cheering, raising the volume of the speaker that was blasting Rihanna’s ‘We found Love.’</p><p>“Ready? Start!”</p><p>Chaos ensued.</p><p>Kai and Yeonjun were cheering like animals, while Soobin was laughing to so hard that you couldn’t hear his laugh anymore. Mewnwhile, Beomgyu carefully took the first shot in his mouth and tilted his head up to drink it easily.</p><p>“Okay, you’re doing good.” Taehyun said with wide eyes.</p><p>“You need to stop inhaling and exhaling so hard, the shots are going to fall!” Yeonjun screamed at the beta, while Beomgyu managed to take the second shot but he poured a little bit of its content on his boyfriend’s stomach to his grand displeasure.</p><p>Taehyun was about to protest, until he felt Beomgyu licking the blood on his stomach, slowly. The cheers multiplied ten folds and Taehyun squeaked at the sensation.</p><p>“Oh my God!” Taehyun squeaked.</p><p>“I hope that He’s not watching you, right now!”</p><p>“Shut up, Kai!” Taehyun threw a lone pillow at the younger who dodged it with a loud screech.</p><p>“<em>Stop moving, babe</em>!” Beomgyu whined at Taehyun who immediately stopped.</p><p>“Five seconds left!” Yeonjun announced dramatically.</p><p>Beomgyu quickly took the last shot, spilling alcoblood all over his lips and Taehyun’s stomach- who whined at the feeling - but finishing the shot successfully.</p><p>“You did it, you crazy bastard!” Kai hi-fived after detaching Beomgyu, who winced at the taste of the blood and shook his head left and right.</p><p>Then the vampire dipped down again to lick the leftover blood on Taehyun’s stomach. More cheers and more whine from Taehyun who was hiding his face in embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun just tried to immortalize in his mind, this amazing moment he was spending with his friends. Dreading that it would end too soon.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>✜ ✜ ✜</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the night was a blur after that.</p><p>They had gotten deeper and more emotional with the truths</p><p> </p><p>(Kai to Soobin: “<em>How does it honestly feel to be free from your mother?</em>”</p><p>Soobin hesitated to answer and Taehyun had immediately took his hand.</p><p>“It’s weird. I have this looming feeling that she’ll come back to finish what she had started. You know? Like I still have nightmares about her, sometimes.” Everyone nodded and looked at him with fond but sad gazes. They understood in a way what he felt. They all had to deal differently with this new situation they are facing. “I’m way happier, that’s for sure but... It’ll take some time for me to get used to not having to be mindful of everything I do and say.”</p><p>“We’ll all be there to help you with it anyways...” Soobin smiled genuinely to each and everyone of them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun to Taehyun: “<em>How are things at home after Gunhee outed you</em>?”</p><p>Taehyun cleared his throat, “Well, my parents weren’t ready to have this dropped on them. Me neither, actually. Still, they supported me, after coping with the fact that this whole sexuality crisis wasn’t a crisis and was real.I didn’t went to church on Sunday but Chae told me that people were so cold and gave them pitiful looks to them. Someone even talk to them about consideration a... reconversion camp...” they all gaped at him. Kai was full on glaring at the carpet they were on. It was baffling, really.</p><p>“That made them see red, though. They told all those people off and left the church service earlier because of that. They honestly handled it better than I would have.”</p><p>“They really did, if someone said that about my son, I would have cursed them out.”</p><p>“Yeah... So they’re okay with me being out, they’re more mad that it wasn’t on my own accord.”</p><p>“I mean, it’s good that things settled down for you in this way.”</p><p>“Yeah, I feel like that actually allowed us to be more honest with each other.” He muttered with a small smile. They all grinned back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>From Yeonjun to Kai: “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, but I felt like it was yours to tell. But since it’s the night of truths... Are you straight?”</p><p>They all looked at Kai silently. Nobody really knew, actually. Not even Beomgyu.</p><p>Kai looked at them in disbelief, for so long that Yeonjun reassured him, “You don’t have to tell us—“</p><p>Kai cut him with a sigh,“It’s not that I don’t want to... To be fair, I just don’t know. I don’t particularly feel attracted to... anyone. Like sometimes my dad would ask me to take care of important client’s daughter and they would even... flirt, I think? But it’s just not my cup of tea, it’s actually really awkward.”</p><p>“So maybe you’re not into girls. What about boys then?”</p><p>“The thing is, I just don’t think I’m attracted to boys either. No offense to us all, but we’re gross and just the thought of being intimate with one... Nope.” The human shivered at the thought.</p><p>They all processed what he said, the background music was playing a soft Lana Del Rey song.</p><p>Taehyun cleared his throat, “You could just be asexual? Or aromantic?” He suggested carefully.</p><p>Kai looked at him in question, “Actually... I did some research about it and I also thought it was that... I’m just scared of being that. I’m not... I don’t—“</p><p>Soobin hushed him before things got worse in the younger’s mind, “Hey, hey, hey— Hyukah... It’s never easy to know what box our sexuality belong in. But it’s a spectrum. Asexuality in itself, is a spectrum. And if you are actually asexual, there’s nothing wrong with that! Really! You’re amazing. You are loved. We’re there to provide any kind of support that you may need, Hyukah.” He said warmly to the younger who was simply looking at them so sadly.</p><p>“Yeah! We’re here to help you in your journey. We all struggled one way or another to put words on what we are, but that’s just part of the process, you know.” Beomgyu concluded, hand already holding Kai’s. The younger reluctantly nodded and looked at them with a grateful look.</p><p>“Thanks guys... just, thank you so much.”)</p><p> </p><p>Amongst those heartfelt moments they shared, they also had great laughs.</p><p> </p><p>They had gotten bolder but also sillier with their truths and dares.</p><p> </p><p>(Soobin To Beomgyu: “How much money would it take you to put out for Park Seojoon?”</p><p>Beomgyu didn’t even thought about it before blurting “500 won!” They all laughed and nodded in agreement but he interjected again, “No, cut that! I would do it for free! He’s that hot”he said before Taehyun threw a pillow right in his face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taehyun to Kai: “if you had to kiss, marry, kill those three idiots over there, what would it be.”</p><p>“I would kiss Soobin, marry Yeonjun hyung and kill Beomgyu,” that was followed by the biggest “how dare you?!” From Beomgyu.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kai to Soobin: “What is your favorite body part of Yeonjun and then I’ll ask you to lick it because I have a joker card!” The younger flipped the piece of paper that they had ended up adding to the game to make things more interesting.</p><p>Soobin answered immediately, flushed from how tipsy he was, “His lips, to be honest. Every time he drinks my blood... I just go crazy internally, it’s ridiculous” he explained to the gang that was laughing so hard at how shy and distraught Yeonjun looked after that answer.</p><p>Soobin had already drunk some shots of his own and the alcohol had mellowed him down considerably. Yeonjun had gulped at the prospect of that dare happening and the rest of the group cheered loudly. Soobin didn’t wait though. He quickly licked Yeonjun’s lips as if it was nothing, while the rest of the room whooped like they were primates. Soobin withdrew immediately with a sheepish smile and flushed cheeks, and Yeonjun kept his own blush the whole night after that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>From Soobin to Taehyun: “I dare you to text a picture of you and Beomgyu kissing to Chaeryeong... or to do fifty push ups with Yeonjun on your back. If you fail this, though, you have to drink a shot for every five push ups you failed to do.” Soobin was getting great at Truth or Dare and honestly it scared them all a little.</p><p>After some thought Taehyun decided to choose the first one. Because he was so tired and already very tipsy. Just like everyone except Kai who had managed to handle it well and avoid drinking too much; and Yeonjun who could only get drunk with Soobin’s blood.</p><p>(But later that night, Soobin offered to let him drink from him. They did it only a little... it was intense for lack of better words)</p><p>Taehyun and Beomgyu kissed and Kai quickly took the picture, not without complaining of how gross it was, especially when they didn’t stop right after the picture was taken.</p><p>Once they snapped out of it when a pillow was thrown at their attached faces, Taehyun cleared his throat and sent it to his sister, who immediately called him and screamed, “I’LL HAVE TO CLEAN MY EYES WITH BLEACH TO REMOVE THAT IMAGE FROM MY MIND”. They all cackled at her reaction.)</p><p> </p><p>It was a wild night.</p><p> </p><p>But it had really built up and defined how much they cared for each other.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun woke up with a small head ache from Soobin’s blood he had drank during the night. Memories of them having trouble to keep it PG after that resurfaced.</p><p> </p><p>It had honestly riled them up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>While they were taking a break from Truth or Dare, because Taehyun was supposed to teach Hyukah the choreography to Red Velvet’s Red flavor in thirty minutes; they walked out to get some fresh air.</p><p>They did just that. Well, it was more like Yeonjun took Soobin out to make him take some fresh air since he was already quite drunk at this point of the night.</p><p>They had went on Beomgyu’s huge balcony, and just talked casually.</p><p>Them when they entered back inside the room, Soobin just blurted out the question.</p><p>“Do you want to drink my blood?”</p><p>Yeonjun had froze at the sudden request, “umm, why?”</p><p>“Because I feel like you’re missing the fun and I now know that my neck is your favorite part of my body.” Soobin smiled at him mischievously in a way that made Yeonjun’s stomach churned.</p><p>That’s how they had ended on Beomgyu’s couch in his bedroom, Yeonjun drinking Soobin’s blood in a... rather intense way.</p><p>It was just wild for the both of them. Soobin really had seemed to enjoy it, if the moans and sighs were anything to go by, but probably not as much as Yeonjun. The blood was kind of bitter and sweet. The drunken effect was immediate, too.</p><p>Once he was finished he licked the wound. When they had locked gazes, it was just so... intense. Yeonjun couldn’t think of another word for it. They had almost kissed, too. But of course, Beomgyu’s scream in the room next to them snapped them out of their daze.</p><p>There was some throat cleared and awkward glances thrown here and there before they just bursted out in laughter.</p><p>They were too drunk to let the awkward linger in the air for more than a minute.</p><p> </p><p>They only were clinging to each other during the rest of the night.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Now it was the morning after and he looked around the room and groaned.</p><p>They had relocated the party to Beomgyu’s room around 4AM and now they were all sprawled around the room dead asleep. Taehyun and Beomgyu were spread on the bed like they were both probably dead or just really fast asleep. Kai had his face smushed on the big couch in the corner of Beomgyu’s bedroom. He and Soobin had moved a mattress from one of the guest room to put it on the floor ungraciously and had passed out on it, soon after.</p><p>Speaking of Soobin, the omega groaned and pouted as he woke up. Probably from all the moving that Yeonjun was doing as he tried to wake himself up. The sun was shining all over the room, too. He looked at the clock on Beomgyu’s night table. It was noon. They had only 6 slept hours.</p><p>“Go back to bed, Soobin.” He said gently. The omega looked his way, cheeks flushed from the cold and his sleepiness, a big pout on as he frowned at him. Then he cutely nodded and snuggled back on Yeonjun’s chest.</p><p>Yeonjun sighed fondly. He wanted to get up, but Soobin was just too cute to ask him to move. Plus he still had some leftover clinginess, from the night before.</p><p>He exhaled and felt the carpeted floor to find his phone, since he remembered throwing it somewhere there. After few seconds of struggling he found it.</p><p>He turned it on as he heard a loud snore invade the room before it quietened down immediately after.</p><p>Once his phone turned on, he looked around one last time before noticing he had missed messages and calls. He frowned. That was weird.</p><p>Two missed calls from his mother from last night. And one message from his father.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>‘Yeonjun,</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I talked with your mother. It was concluded that I had become unrationally selfish.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>You were right... Ever since you came out, the idea that I had of you did shifted, and that I think it translated in the worst way on how I treated you and on our relationship.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’ll be honest with you, I was born in a time where teenagers weren’t as... free and bold as you are. We weren’t as opened to other species either... I guess that that’s what scared me. That was also why I dismissed the idea of you finding the cure of your disease so easily. But that was very wrong of me, I admit that.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I realized that you felt neglected and unheard and a talk with your mother made me wake up from that stupor I was in.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’ll need some time to get used to what you are, and who you want to be with. I hope that it’s fine with you.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I know that the love for ones Destined is far greater than anything else and I can’t get in the way of that. No matter my beliefs.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>You’re my son, and I love you, Yeonjun.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>I’m sorry that it took so long for me to say it.</strong>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Dad.</strong>’</li>
</ul><p> </p><p>Yeonjun gaped as he read and reread the message.</p><p>He couldn’t believe that it had finally happened. He actually couldn’t believe it.</p><p> </p><p>In ions he was tearing up and tried to keep his emotions at bay, in fear of waking up Soobin. Eventually he couldn’t anymore. He cried silently of relief and Soobin steered again.</p><p>“Hum?”</p><p>“Go back to sleep, Soobin.” Yeonjun choked out. But once he heard his voice, Soobin quickly looked at him and woke up</p><p>“What happened?” He cooed, and Yeonjun sobbed louder at how caring Soobin was.</p><p>“Do you need a hug?” Soobin asked patiently when Yeonjun didn’t answer his question. Yeonjun gulped and nodded.</p><p>Soobin wrapped his arm around him and nuzzled his face in the crook of his neck to take him in the warmest embrace.</p><p>Yeonjun sniffed again and smile at how right it felt. He embraced Soobin back, putting his phone to his side to focus on his Destined.</p><p>“You’re okay?” Soobin whispered in his neck. He felt the omega’s lashes fluttering against his neck and ‘oh’ that must have been how it felt, right before he drank his blood. He exhaled loudly.</p><p>Since he hadn’t answered Soobin raised his face from his neck to hover over him with the same silent question in his eyes.</p><p>He nodded shyly, unable to actually say anything because he mesmerized by Soobin’s beauty. Their gazes locked.</p><p>Maybe mind reading was part of their bond - that Yeonjun was practically sure they mutually shared, he could just feel it - because roses bloomed on the Omega’s cheeks and ears, as if he had heard Yeonjun say how gorgeous he thought he was.</p><p>Soobin hastily ask if he was sure that he was fine, but Yeonjun just smiled at him and pecked his cheeks with a fond, “Sure.”</p><p>Soobin immediately hid his face in his neck again once he got the confirmation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Things would never be perfect for them. The society wasn’t completely open to interspecies couples, and even less to gay couples.</p><p>Their school wasn’t going to magically be accepting of them, either. That week they had been tame for some reason, but it won’t always be like that.</p><p>As for Taehyun and Beomgyu, their relationship won’t always be happy. They will come across some problems, although Yeonjun believed that they’ll deal with it together no matter what.</p><p> </p><p>All of them; they’ll have to face some hardships and risks.</p><p> </p><p>His relationship with Soobin wasn’t perfect either.</p><p>His hunch about him being the omega’s mate was still a stretch of longing hope.</p><p>Soobin still was quite insecure and overall traumatized about what happened with his mother. He would need all the support and attention that his parents failed to give him for years, that was for sure.</p><p>There was also uncertainties about what would happen to them when Yeonjun would move out...</p><p>On top of that Soobin was still convinced that they shouldn’t be together. Yet...</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(He looked at Soobin’s mope of black hair and at the way that his back rose and fell with his breaths. He felt the omega’s heart beat against his own chest.)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>...Yet, Yeonjun was ready to take all those risks. He was ready to wait.</p><p> </p><p>Because Soobin was like the embodiment of his happy place.</p><p> </p><p>Of that Magic Island where everything was okay, beautiful and peaceful.</p><p> </p><p>He was his magic island.</p><p> </p><p>And the day that they met was their start line of their happiness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thats the eeeeend, my babies 💕💕</p><p>I wanted to keep it real, I hope no one is mad</p><p>Its Angst with a happy ending, sure, but I wanted to stay honest.</p><p>Things won’t be perfect like I wrote and thats okay 😉</p><p>PLEEEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT </p><p>YOUR OPINION MATTERS SO MUCH TO ME!</p><p>Comment, give kudos, it makes me so happy 💕💕💕</p><p>While waiting for the epilogue, I say to you good day, night, comeback for all of us’ MOAsssss 🥰🥰🥰</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Golden Missing Puzzle Piece</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys, this is loooong overdue.</p><p>I just finished my exams that were so important.<br/>Ifinished yesterday and after bying kpop albums and makeup I thought I would finally finishh this lmao</p><p>This story is my second baby with When I sense you, so I hope you loved it as much as I did</p><p>Enjoyyyyy babes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <strong>Two and a half year later<br/>
</strong>
</p><p><br/>
Soobin was nervous.</p><p><br/>
That night was his first official date with Yeonjun, and he was just... He was just nervous.</p><p><br/>
They hadn’t really defined their relationship yet, but he was going to start his first college class in three days and since the moment Soobin received his acceptance letter to a prestigious college in Seoul, they were set to pick up their relationship where they had left off when Yeonjun had left after his own graduation.</p><p><br/>
Now it was hours before their first date and he was nervous.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
It hadn’t been easy to come to this, really.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
Actually it had been pretty painful.</p><p><br/>
***<br/>
Yeonjun had left a month after graduating. It was a pure moment of pride and happiness for the vampire. His parents were there and Soobin swore he had seen them fighting tears. All five of them had spent the summer together, in between each other’s homes, the hotel’s swimming pool and Beomgyu’s playroom. It had been really amazing, and Soobin knew he would cherish and hold these moments close to his heart.</p><p><br/>
In that same summer, had also occurred his parents’ trial. It had been so stressful, too. He hadn’t seen his mother in months at that time and pleading against her was terrifying because there was still that underlying fear that she would escape and hurt him and his siblings.<br/>
<br/>
The trial had lasted three weeks almost, starting way before Yeonjun’s graduation but spread around it.</p><p><br/>
There was a lot of evidences working against his parents’, though. He had spoken as the victim, along with his siblings. There was also witnesses. Neighbors came forward to speak to the bar and explain what they had heard. Some people from the church had even spoken to show pictures of Soobin and see his weight evolution, to prove that she was indeed starving him at times. It had been really embarrassing and just tiring, to see this rewind of everything horrible his mother had done to him. He had cried several times when he was at the bar. His lawyer, Ahn Heeyeon, had to comfort him each time afterwards, telling him that they were so close to have her. That she would pay.</p><p><br/>
She just had been so passionate, and attentive, to make his parents pay for their crimes. It had even more pissed his mother off that a vampire was representing her son.</p><p><br/>
Weeks went by and the verdict had been intransigent.</p><p><br/>
He still remembered the tense atmosphere that reigned on verdict day.</p><p>First the head jury had rose from his chair to give their own verdict. They declared her guilty. That was the first mini heart attack and blow of relief that had took Soobin.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
The judge’s words, though, had been what would probably mark him forever.</p><p><br/>
“After some thought, for the charges of child abuse, mistreatment and neglecting, the court declares Choi Yina and Choi Minhyuk...” the whole court stopped breathing. He held on his siblings’ hands so tight.</p><p><br/>
“... Guilty.”</p><p><br/>
The whole court gasped and there was some cheers here and there. He exhaled the biggest sigh ever and in seconds he was crying his eyes out.<br/>
It was really over.</p><p><br/>
The judge hit his gavel to silence the court since people were cheering way too much, he turned around and looked at his friends looking at him so happily. Taehyun was crying, though. He was also crying too hard to smile back.</p><p><br/>
“Choi Minhyuk, you’re sentenced to 15 years of jail time, with a fine of 10 million won.” Soobin couldn’t look at either of his parent’s reaction. He was trying to calm himself down, relief flooding so hard inside of him that he could barely breathe. He felt an arm around his back but still stayed folded on himself.</p><p><br/>
“Choi Yina, for your crime and for the years of abuse that you inflicted to the people you’re supposed to care and protect... You’re sentenced to 20 years of strict jail time with a fine of 50 million won.”</p><p><br/>
He heard his mother scream in indignation. He actually rose from his folded position to watch her, flinching back on instinct.</p><p><br/>
She had never looked that angry and outraged. She had protested as the bailiff pulled her out of court, she screeched and tried to fight him back. She had looked completely crazy, screaming that it was unfair, that she didn’t deserve that. Everyone was just staring at her in various degrees of horror and happiness that she was finally arrested.</p><p><br/>
“It’s all your fault,” she had screamed at Soobin from across the room. At some point she successfully fought back the bailiff and started running towards Soobin and his siblings. He cowered instinctively but before she could reach him, another bailiff stopped her.</p><p><br/>
After few moments she was successfully pulled away from court.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
All of it had been so intense and tiring. He remembered not being able to sleep that night because of disbelief but also relief. Taehyun had slept over at Seokjin’s that had probably prepared the biggest meal of their entire lives.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
It was two days after the verdict that Yeonjun and him had kissed for the first time.</p><p><br/>
They were supposed to have their blood drinking session. It had been the first time they were alone in weeks. In retrospect it wasn’t that much time, but they had missed each other, especially Soobin that was used to Yeonjun’s comforting presence.<br/>
<br/>
So, they were in his bedroom, on his bed. Yeonjun had just finished drinking and they were in the same daze they always were after drinking, cuddling while they basked in each other’s presence.</p><p><br/>
Their bond had been vibrating at this moment. Soobin remembered his wolf conscience not shutting up at that time. It was constantly speaking to him. Whining and yapping every time that Yeonjun was near him.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
The yapping and incessant whining had started after he had his first heat since he had come out of the hospital. It had been painful, but not as painful as anyone he ever had before, since Seokjin had helped him by running him baths, feeding him, changing his clothes and everything. The fact that an alpha was around him hadn’t even phased him. His mind was screaming for Yeonjun. It was ridiculous.</p><p><br/>
He had even called the vampire when he had come back from a particularly bad heat flush.<br/>
<br/>
It was just embarrassing thinking about it<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
(He was still in his haze, despite his fever lowering considerably. He was on his bed, under his covers, he had dialed Yeonjun’s number as soon as Seokjin had left his room to let him rest.</p><p><br/>
The beep rang until it stopped, and the communication started, but after seconds there was no one speaking.</p><p><br/>
He gulped when he heard a lone, “Soobin?” The voice was raspy, and something churned in Soobin. He felt arousal coming back just at the idea of Yeonjun in bed.</p><p><br/>
“Junnie hyung...” he only said. He clearly wasn’t thinking straight. At this point he only wanted to hear his voice.</p><p><br/>
“Yeah, Soobin…? Wait” he cleared his throat probably in realization of who he was talking to,” What happened? Are you okay? I— I thought that you were in heat?” Yeonjun asked, the pace of the question getting quicker and more frantic.</p><p><br/>
Soobin breathed out a, “I— I’m fine. I am in heat... I just- it hurts bad. An—and I don’t know I was just thinking about you. I miss you.” He sighed despite himself. Then he muttered, “I always do, actually. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you Yeonjun...”</p><p><br/>
he was met with silence at the other end of the line. After some time, “Soobin... I don’t know what to say... Do Seokjin hyung knows that you’re talking to—“</p><p><br/>
“I don’t want to talk about Seokjin hyung, right now. I just want to be with you, talk to you, and just— Just feel you. Like when you drink my blood. It feels so good. You always make me feel so good, Yeonjun. Do you know that?” He rambled, feeling the fever rising again. He was sweating profusely and started to take each blanket off from his upper body. He was getting too hot and bothered.</p><p><br/>
“Soobin... I feel like I’m not supposed to hear that... So, maybe you should hang up.”</p><p><br/>
“No! Please no... I just... My wolf is sometimes screaming for you, you know? It’s whining in my mind and asks for you... I just— I need you, Yeonjun. Right now.” Soobin begged him, feeling his emotions get the best of him. He was going to cry. Coiling arousal overtook him again as Yeonjun groaned in the phone.</p><p><br/>
“Soobin. I— You’re not sane, right now. I don’t think that—“</p><p><br/>
“Stop thinking for five minutes.” He whined at the vampire who shut up immediately, “Junnie hyung... I just— You remember when we had that fight before my mother sequestered me?”</p><p><br/>
He heard Yeonjun gulped and whispered a shaky “Yes.”</p><p><br/>
“You thought that I needed an alpha to take care of me... Well, I am telling you now. Even if an alpha was standing naked in front of me right now, I would still only want you. You, Yeonjun.” Soobin exhaled as he ran his fingers on his sweaty stomach.</p><p><br/>
“... Soobin. You don’t know what you’re saying...” Yeonjun exhaled.</p><p><br/>
“I’m telling you that now and I mean it. What are you going to do about it?” He asked boldly. He heard a shaky sigh through the phone.<br/>
<br/>
Then Yeonjun hung up.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
Soobin blinked at the phone, not processing what had just happened. He tried to call back but Yeonjun wasn’t answering anymore. He started whining and tearing up. His wolf was crying inside, and he felt as defeated.<br/>
He was about to try to call back but then Seokjin knocked on his door. He pulled down his shirt and waited for the alpha to enter.</p><p><br/>
“Yeonjun called and told me to take your phone away.”</p><p><br/>
Soobin sighed in defeat, but somehow agreed.<br/>
<br/>
Days after his heat, when he felt significantly better, he was so embarrassed by the way he had acted that he didn’t talk to Yeonjun for three whole days. Yeonjun had given him in space, too.</p><p><br/>
He hadn’t even talked about it with Taehyun, but apparently Yeonjun had talked about it with Beomgyu because soon enough, they were all laughing at the both of them, teasing them incessantly.)<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
It took them days to even look at each other in the eyes again. And even after they started talking to each other again, there was still that awkwardness. Taehyun and Beomgyu had to make them snap of it to make them get out of the whole awkward stage.</p><p><br/>
Still, Soobin’s wolf had done a lot to Soobin’s feelings. It was so much more obvious that there was something in him screaming for Yeonjun and Yeonjun only. He couldn’t ignore that after it.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
Maybe that was why Soobin had acted on his feelings. Because who was he kidding? His feelings were too deep for him to not say anything. Not when Yeonjun was going to leave in weeks.</p><p><br/>
At the time he still believed that he wasn’t good enough for Yeonjun. But that didn’t stop him from having his wolf convincing him to just say something, anything, about how he felt.</p><p><br/>
So, here they were. In his room, cuddling in silence, in their favorite position. Yeonjun had his face nuzzled in Soobin’s neck where he had drunk just moments ago. Soobin had his arms around him and Yeonjun too.</p><p><br/>
“I’m going to miss you.” He simply said. It was a euphemism, really, but he had to start somewhere. The vampire was about to leave for college soon after all.</p><p><br/>
Yeonjun breathed in his neck softly and smiled. Soobin could feel his lips against his neck and suppressed a shiver.</p><p><br/>
“I’m going to miss you, too.” Yeonjun whispered, as he nuzzled Soobin’s neck, still buzzed from Soobin’s blood running through his body.</p><p><br/>
“It’s so weird. We’ve only met like 8 months ago, but I feel like you’re such an important part of my life,” he said softly. That brought Yeonjun back to the living world. He pulled away from Soobin’s neck and rested his head against the pillow they were sharing. They were facing each other now. Staring at each with so much fragile but emotional tension.</p><p><br/>
“I feel like that, too... Like I don’t even know how I’m going to be in Seoul without you.”</p><p><br/>
“We already talked about the blood bags that I’ll send you monthly...” Soobin said instinctively with a small smile.</p><p><br/>
“You know what I’m talking about, Soobinnie.” Yeonjun rolled his eyes fondly. Soobin snickered at the action and Yeonjun’s hands withdrew from the omega’s waist to take Soobin’s chin in the tip of his fingers. Soobin’s eyes glanced rapidly at the cold tips grazing his chine, before falling back on Yeonjun’s golden eyes. He had noticed, weeks ago that the gold in Yeonjun’s irises shimmered in motion. Like his eyes were a lava lamp, or a snow globe. Streaks of golden glitter moved leisurely in his eyes and Soobin found that mesmerizing.</p><p><br/>
“Yeah... I know. I’m just messing with you.”</p><p><br/>
Yeonjun’s eyes crinkled and his nose scrunched like it always did when he found something cute. Soobin always thought that small things like this automatically made him the cutest thing ever, though.</p><p><br/>
“You really are just...” Yeonjun trailed off, eyes switching between the omega’s lips and his eyes. Soobin noticed but didn’t say anything.</p><p><br/>
“I’m… what?” He muttered, his own eyes saying all around the vampire’s face in adoration.</p><p><br/>
“You’re just... perfect,” Soobin was about to interject but Yeonjun cut him before he could correct him, “To me. You’re perfect to me, Soobin.”</p><p><br/>
Soobin had gaped lightly at the words. It had just felt weird. He knew that Yeonjun had feelings for him. The vampire had told him so at the hospital. But he still felt a mix of disbelief and intense warmness when he heard Yeonjun describing him like that.</p><p><br/>
So, he had kissed him.</p><p> </p><p>He had simply closed the small distance between them and pressed his lips against his. It was short and sweet. But <em>inside of him</em> it was like fireworks exploding in his mind. His whole body was buzzing in excitement but also a great peace and he felt like his wolf had something to do with that.</p><p><br/>
Just as soon as he pressed them, he pulled his lips away.</p><p><br/>
He had slowly opened his eyes to see Yeonjun already looking at him with the sweetest smile ever, eyes crinkling in fondness. Soobin found himself smiling back.</p><p><br/>
“You’re perfect to me, too.” He whispered against the vampire’s lips.</p><p><br/>
Yeonjun smiled and took him for another kiss, pulling him flush against him until there wasn’t any space between each other. This kiss was way more passionate. The hand that was on Soobin’s chin found itself cradling his head while the other held tight at Soobin’s wide-necked shirt. He took Soobin’s lower lip in his own plush ones and started grazing his sharp fangs against it. It was so soft, though. The sharpness of the teeth was contrasting so well with how careful he was with his own lips.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin was overwhelmed. It was different from when he drank his blood, but it felt just as good. He liked being eaten by the feeling of Yeonjun against him. It was like something, a feeling, a spark, was flowing between them. Like they were floating from the static electricity sparkling.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
They were so into it that Yeonjun withdrew from the omega and in seconds he sat on Soobin’s lap to take him in another, deeper kiss. Soobin squeaked at the spontaneous action but the vampire was holding his neck gently, fingers grazing where he had bitten him earlier, as he kissed his words away. Soobin’s hands snaked over the vampire’s body to take him in an embrace and hug him tightly while the vampire was loving his lips. Soobin couldn’t stop a moan when he felt Yeonjun’s tongue slide between his lips, making the vampire chuckle against his lips.</p><p><br/>
They were also so into it that they didn’t hear the knock on Soobin’s door.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
They did hear the gasp followed by a “Oh my God!”, though.</p><p><br/>
They immediately pulled away and sat up when they heard it.</p><p><br/>
They saw Jina at the door frame hiding her face with her hands in horror.</p><p>She kept her eyes closed as she closed the door squeaking a small “Sorry!”<br/>
Time froze after that.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
He remembered how Seokjin had barged into his room in indignation seconds later. He had asked Yeonjun to leave soon after and the vampire did so immediately, bowing in embarrassment and apology. They barely had any time to gather themselves, Yeonjun still looked disheveled but Seokjin had been too sharp in his demand.<br/>
<br/>
That night, Seokjin had given him The Talk. It was painfully awkward and Soobin wanted to run away. But Seokjin forced him to sit through it, especially because the alpha hadn’t said anything when he had that crazy episode during his heat.</p><p><br/>
Still, it was an awkward moment to have with his hyung.</p><p><br/>
It was even more awkward for Yeonjun and Soobin, after that. Because even if the kiss they had shared was... quite literally <em>breathtaking</em>, they hadn’t defined their relationship. Soobin’s plan to basically give in to his wolf’s demand and confess had failed.<br/>
<br/>
They had spent the rest of Yeonjun’s time together with the rest of their group of friends until the day of Yeonjun’s departure.<br/>
<br/>
It was quite sad and gloomy. Beomgyu had cried his eyes out, Taehyun being unable to console him, and Kai had done everything in his power not to break down, too.</p><p><br/>
As for Soobin... well, he held a lot of emotions in, that day. He didn’t want to cry like the rest of them, since he knew that Yeonjun was already quite sad. After the vampire hugged tightly each and every one of them, holding Beomgyu a little longer.</p><p><br/>
When it was their times to leave each other by giving each other a warm embrace. They held each other with their eyes closed, not knowing how to express how they felt other than through whispers of goodbyes and ‘please call me’, because, honestly, they didn’t know. It took Yeonjun’s mother chuckling and Seokjin’s throat clearing for them to pull apart.</p><p><br/>
His wolf was screaming at him at this point.</p><p><br/>
He knew why, though.</p><p><br/>
After they had kissed that day, Soobin had to come to the fact that he couldn’t lie to himself.<br/>
<br/>
Yeonjun was his mate.<br/>
<br/>
He was sure of it.<br/>
<br/>
He didn’t know if he was Yeonjun’s Destined but the vampire was for certain his mate.<br/>
<br/>
When they shared their final words before Yeonjun left, it felt incomplete. Soobin’s wolf was begging him to say it. To officialize their bond.<br/>
<br/>
But Soobin couldn’t do it.<br/>
<br/>
So they parted. Without defining how much they meant to each other on a deeper level than few amazing kisses and hugs. Without saying what they really felt.<br/>
<br/>
***<br/>
<br/>
That was Soobin’s plan for the night.</p><p><br/>
They were going to see each other for the first time in three months and Soobin was ready to tell Yeonjun the truth.</p><p><br/>
He had worked on his self-esteem during that time away. He built it up and started being nicer to himself, with the help of his friends and family.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun had helped also, from afar, since they had texted and called each other a lot during that year.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Eventually Soobin felt so much better about himself. He wouldn’t say that he loved himself. But he liked himself way more than before.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Enough to think that he deserved someone like Yeonjun.<br/>
<br/>
He owed it a lot to Taehyun, too.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>His best friend had stayed faithful to his personality even after Soobin’s mother was out of the picture.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He was still witty, savage but so supportive. He was also way happier. But that was mostly thanks to Beomgyu.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>His and Beomgyu’s relationship was chaotic, for a lack of better words.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>***</p><p>As time passed, they had gotten impossibly closer but also had come to realize that they were quite different. And even if it was something that they liked about each other at first, it did create some fights.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They still pulled through, though.<br/>
<br/>
The biggest fight they ever had was about their bond, though.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Taehyun had told him about it during the summer when Yeonjun left.</p><p>Soobin was moping around because he was missing Yeonjun and was starting to have regrets of not telling the vampire about their bond. Then</p><p>Taehyun, for the sake of showing that he related, had bitterly talked about his own situation with his and Beomgyu’s bond.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Beomgyu had told the beta about how he was sure that Taehyun was his Destined, and that he was scared because Taehyun had a mate. Taehyun had been shocked at first. The beta didn’t like to think about his mate, that had rejected him, back then. The wound was still fresh. Still, he asked him what he meant by Beomgyu being scared. The vampire told him that he was in love with Taehyun and that this bond situation just proved that Taehyun would most likely never love him like he did. Taehyun had found himself unable to answer anything to that, because he was not only shocked by the sudden confession (they had never said the L word before that); but also, by Beomgyu sudden outburst. At his stretched silence, Beomgyu had walked away from him in tears.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Taehyun had been devastated. Worse than Soobin that was sad about Yeonjun’s absence. It was just a hard summer for the both of them.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It took them three weeks to talk to each other again. Taehyun had come forward and begged for Beomgyu’s forgiveness. Beomgyu had pointed out how he didn’t need to apologize for feeling hurt and confused by his bond with his own mate. But Taehyun still insisted by saying that despite how young they were, it didn’t matter who his mate actually was. To him, Beomgyu was his real mate, and nothing could change that.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The vampire had been so relieved by Taehyun’s words. He thought that they had broken up without saying it explicitly when they had that fight.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Taehyun had shook his head and told him that he loved him, too. That he was Beomgyu’s Destined and that Beomgyu was his mate.<br/>
<br/>
That fight had been their worst but the outcome of it had been the best. Soobin was elated to see his best friend so happy.<br/>
<br/>
***</p><p><br/>
Speaking of best friend, Taehyun had texted him ideas of outfits for Soobin to choose for his date.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They were texting constantly since Soobin had left. Their goodbyes had been even sadder than Yeonjun and Beomgyu’s, really, but thinking about it made Soobin teared up instantly, so he didn’t like to dwell on it. Taehyun and Beomgyu would join them the year after, anyways.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He focused back on Taehyun’s text.<br/>
<br/>
<strong>From: Taehyunnie<br/>
You should wear that white Champion shirt that I bought you with a back skinny jean<br/>
And then top it off with that denim/suede blue stripped jacket that you NEVER EVER wore<br/>
Also accessorize for once... -_-<br/>
</strong><br/>
Soobin chuckled at how fed up his best friend sounded. He had worn him out all day after all. He was just nervous about this date.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Taehyun had pointed out that they <em>basically</em> <em>were</em> <em>dating</em> since they had met, but Soobin had dismissed him by sending a ‘are you serious’ SpongeBob meme.<br/>
<br/>
He followed his advices though and ten minutes later he was in front of his bathroom mirror to put on some accessories and maybe some makeup.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He didn’t have any piercing, contrarily to Yeonjun who had went wild with the earrings once he put a foot in Seoul. So, he put on what felt right. He put on the locker that Yeonjun had gifted him.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He rarely pulled out that locket. He always let him in a safe place, occasionally pulling it out only to make sure that it stayed sparkling clean and that the glitter wasn’t gone — even if that wasn’t possible.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>For the makeup he did something really simple. They were going on a first date for a picnic at the park. He didn’t need to overdo it, so he just put some highlight and a little bit of eye liner. He put his lip balm in his jacket pocket after applying it some enough to make his lips shine a little.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Ten minutes later, he was ready just in time to leave his apartment.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He had decided to share the apartment with Chaeryeong, since she had hated the dorms the year before. She was so happy that Soobin was coming to Seoul, the apartment was already ready to be lived when he had moved in, so it was perfect for him. He had his own room and since he was quite tidy, just like her, they didn’t mind sharing a bathroom together.<br/>
<br/>
He left the apartment when he was done, leaving a note to Chae to tell her that he would text her when he’ll come home. She was fast asleep after spending the day with her boyfriend, Jeno, but she had told him that she was exhausted from how much fun they had together. It didn’t really surprise Soobin that Chaeryeong had ended up with a human that was far quieter that she was. She had explained fondly that it was weird for the both of them at first but eventually her boyfriend had come out of his shell and things were going great for them both. Soobin really wished that it would last, since she looked so happy.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He walked out in the busy streets of Seoul and took the subway, paying real close attention to not miss his train stop. He quickly texted Yeonjun to tell him that he was on his way and Yeonjun immediately answered back to tell him <strong>‘Me too ^~^’</strong>.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>As each station passed, his mind was starting to process the fact that he was finally going to see Yeonjun. And it was in the context of a date.<br/>
It was stupid, too, because Yeonjun had asked him on that date months ago. When the vampire came back for over two weeks, on his last day he had told Soobin that the next time that they would see each other it would be for a date and nothing else. Soobin had nodded in a blush and smiled at him.<br/>
<br/>
Now here he was, months later, losing his nerves when he had so much time to prepare psychologically to this.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He followed his GPS’ instruction until he found the park. It was a beautiful 24/7 park, where a lot of young people hung out apparently. It was lit beautifully and had two fountains on each side. Yeonjun had asked him to meet each other by the first fountain.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Once he was there, he fidgeted, fiddling with his phone as he looked at the small pretty fishes swimming happily in the fountain. The sight did calm him down a bit.<br/>
<br/>
“Hey.”</p><p>Soobin turned around sharply at the familiar voice that had greeted him.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun was looking at him with that usual fond smile adorning his face. He hadn’t changed much physically in the span of those three months. He had more piercings, and it seemed that he was... tanner? Soobin didn’t even know that vampires could get tan. It looked beautiful on him, though.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun just looked great with it. The vampire had a beret on, making him look so cute, and it went great with his blue V-necked sweater and white jeans. It looked... Soobin didn’t have the proper words. Yeonjun was always mesmerizing but he looked particularly great.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin had missed his smile the most though.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“... Hi.” Soobin answered after moments. He winced internally at the time he had took to answer but Yeonjun just chuckled at him. <em>Gosh</em>, Soobin had missed that laugh, too.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He was going to say something else, anything else but in an instant his arms were full of Yeonjun who took him in a warm embrace. Since Soobin was taller than him, the vampire had his face burrowed his neck, and the familiar feeling made his heart jump inside his chest.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I missed you so much,” Yeonjun grinned against his neck.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I missed you too. I feel like we keep on telling each other that.” He pointed out as he tightened his arms around the vampire’s waist. He still had that same delicious scent of woodsmoke and primrose.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He had almost forgotten how much he loved it. Since Yeonjun had moved out, Soobin sent him his blood through the mail. It wasn’t too hard for him, since his ex-nurse/hyung Jeongguk was there to help him drawing blood easily each month. That also meant that when Yeonjun came for holidays, they didn’t do the blood drinking sessions since the vampire had leftovers from the packages that Soobin sent him. That was probably why Soobin had forgotten how his scent was as sweet as his personality.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They pulled away from the hug, feeling the stares of some passersby. They tended to get carried away in their hugs sometimes, that had never changed.<br/>
<br/>
They laughed sheepishly and completely pulled away after staring at each other’s eyes one last time.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“So... What do we have planned?” Soobin asked to switch shy mood to the usual comfortable atmosphere that reigned every time they were together.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun cleared his throat dramatically, “Well, first we’ll go picnic in somewhere more private. Then I figured that I could give you a small visit of my favorite places, especially my favorite café!” He explained excitedly, and it was contagious because Soobin smiled widely at his enthusiasm.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Sounds great. Lead the way, then.” He smiled. Yeonjun nodded and naturally took Soobin’s hand in his. Soobin interlaced their fingers shyly and let Yeonjun led them into the park.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>There wasn’t a lot of people, that night. It was a Tuesday night, after all. So, they could hold hands without worrying about too many people staring at them. Although, Soobin had grown to care less about those things. Except if people actually confronted them, Soobin would ignore the stares. A year of evolution in the self-love/self-acceptance are taught him that he didn’t want to stop being himself for strangers. If the people he loved liked him as he was, he had no reason to change.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Even his siblings had ended up accepting him as he was. It took some time to grasp the idea, in the same fashion as Taehyun’s parents before. But after Jina had caught him and Yeonjun kissing that day, he had a sort of... talk with his siblings. He just needed to come out properly to them. To really ask them if they were okay with it. They were awkward about it though. Since they didn’t really talk about relationships with each other. They did conclude that Soobin was their big brother and that they loved him in matter who he was. The talk was awkward but once they were done and that his siblings scurried away from the whole situation, he had a warm feeling in his chest.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>All in all, every single of his loved ones knew about him and who he was. That pushed him to be himself more, and he was grateful for it.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“So, how have you been?” Yeonjun asked him. Soobin blinked at him before laughing.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Hyung, we talked yesterday on the phone for three hours! Nothing happened since then.” He teased the vampire who started blushing his beautiful orange, nodding reluctantly.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I know, I just— I feel like we talk so much that I don’t even know what to say to you.” He whined at Soobin as they crossed the lit-up trees until they reached a secluded place. It was a large patch of grass that was shadowed by a huge tree that had fairy lights hung on its branches. The grass stopped to pour over a small river. The lights of the tree reflected on the water and it just gave a beautiful scenery.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Don’t worry, hyungie. We always have something to talk about. Let’s just settle the picnic.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They did just that while chatting casually about how pretty it was there. Yeonjun had bought all sorts of food for Soobin and just took a isothermal bottle of blood for himself. Soobin smiled at the sight.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I’m so happy that you can drink normal blood without any problem. You don’t have nausea anymore, right?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun smiled, “Nope! I’m completely cured. All thanks to you.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin chuckled, “I’m so glad that this is all over. That you can really go back to a normal life now.” He sighed. It had been a long journey but by March of this year, Yeonjun could go back to drink blood without throwing up or coughing as much. By June he was almost completely fine. Soobin had been elated.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Yeah...” Yeonjun smiled but it had some weird twitch to it.</p><p>Soobin frowned at him, as he ate a piece of his kimbap, “You don’t sound that excited as you should be.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun shook his hand frantically, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m so thankful to be able to go back to normal. But...”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“But..?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun hesitated and huffed a laugh, as if what he was about to say was ridiculous, “But, I guess I kind of missed drinking your blood. Like the regular way...” he chuckled sheepishly. But Soobin only nodded in understanding.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“It’s not that ridiculous. I may sound weirder here, but I missed it too... Like the closeness we had, for instance. I liked that a lot.” Soobin smiled absentmindedly, remembering how clingy they were to each other.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Yes. Exactly, I miss that, too.” Yeonjun nodded hastily, happy to be understood, “When I left it felt weird to drink your blood without the feeling of your neck against my lips... I don’t know.” Yeonjun chuckled as he blushed, Soobin sporting himself redness on his ears.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Well... I mean we could always do it again?” Soobin suggested and he almost flinched at the way that Yeonjun’s neck snapped to look at Soobin in anticipation.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Now?!”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No, not now,” Soobin laughed after almost choking on his kimbap, “I meant later on, when we’re in an adequate setting.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun pouted at him but the omega nudged him playfully. Since his pout didn’t leave his lips, Soobin did the first thing that popped in his mind: he left a small kiss on Yeonjun’s neck.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The vampire gaped at his boldness, hands holding at his neck in disbelief. Soobin laughed at his dumbfounded expression.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You’re too cute, Junnie hyung!”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“And <em>you</em> became a tease... I’m not sure that I like this evolution of your character.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin tsked playfully before muttering, “I love that about me, though.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun’s face lit up by his smile, eyes crinkling, “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that kind of things. I’m just so happy that you finally realize how valuable and precious you are.” Yeonjun said fondly, taking Soobin’s hand in his.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin blinked at their hands, repeating in his mind what Yeonjun had just said.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“See, when you say those things, I keep on thinking how I don’t deserve to be with you. Because no one deserve you, hyungie.” Soobin chuckled weakly, but Yeonjun looked at him with a mix of fondness and sadness.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I already told you that you were perfect to me, Bin.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I still have trouble believing that, though.”<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
“Then what if I told you that I know something about you that could make you change your mind.” Yeonjun answered a little more seriously.<br/>
<br/>
Soobin’s look snapped at Yeonjun’s eyes that were suddenly glowing their usual shimmering golden. Jitters overtook him.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What is it?” He asked so quietly that the cricket in the park were singing louder than the sound of his voice.<br/>
<br/>
Yeonjun put all the bottle of blood aside and put away the food that was in between them to face Soobin fully. The omega gulped at the seriousness of it all. Could it be—</p><p>“Okay.” Yeonjun interrupted his thoughts, “I don’t know when exactly I figured it out I remember coming to realize it explicitly that day I fought with my dad after the whole Gunhee incident. But I feel, deep down, I always felt it. Ever since I met you I felt it tugging my heart, when it never beaten inside my chest to begin with...”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What are you saying?” Soobin asked, frozen.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I’m saying that ever since I saw you smile for the first time. Ever since I saw your pretty dimples. Ever since you first allowed yourself to laugh in front of me, I’ve felt like everything was just right. You felt right.” Yeonjun smiled, holding Soobin’s hand close to his mouth and looking away shyly.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh.<br/>
<br/>
</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, God.<br/>
<br/>
</em>
</p><p><br/>
“What I’m saying is that you’re my Destined, Soobin.” Yeonjun muttered.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p><br/>
<em>Oh, God.<br/>
<br/>
</em>
</p><p>As soon as Yeonjun said it, he felt a warm pressure in his heart that spread all across his body. He shivered at the weird sensation.<br/>
<br/>
“Oh...” is all he could whisper.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun’s golden eyes carefully looked at him in fear, “Is it that shocking?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p><br/>
Soobin didn’t answer right away, though.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He was his Destined.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Soobin did it before thinking but he quite literally pounced on Yeonjun to hold him as tightly as possible, his wolf cheering so loudly in his mind.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun squawked in surprise at the impact, but after hearing Soobin laugh in disbelief he allowed himself to laugh along fondly.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin held him tight, and felt tears prickling in his eyes.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I can’t believe that.” He whispered excitedly.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They were bonded.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He could feel it fully now.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>That warm feeling on the side of his heart. It was Yeonjun. He just knew it for sure, now.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“So... You’re happy about it?” Yeonjun still asked carefully despite how much he laughed.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He withdrew his face from the vampire’s neck to look at him, dumbfounded.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>One glance at Yeonjun’s blushing, elated face, that still carried a little worry, made him coo internally and simply lean down to kiss him. Just to convey how happy he felt.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>They shared a long kiss, in the same fashion as their first, intense, one.</p><p>Soobin took the lead and explored Yeonjun’s mouth just to show how excited he was, kissing and biting him a little. The feeling of Yeonjun’s lips against his own may be his mew favorite thing. The vampire’s arms snaked around his waist to hold him and that made him smile.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Eventually he was smiling so widely that he pulled away, although reluctantly. Seconds later a tear slipped out of his eye to fall on Yeonjun’s cheek.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun frantically raised his hand to wipe Soobin’s falling tears, eyes widened in panic. He cooed at the omega in a small pout, “Why are you—“<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He cut him again with another gentler kiss. He was just too cute.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>When he pulled away again, this time putting a little more distance between their faces to make sure not to be tempted again by the softness of the vampire’s lips.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I have something to tell you, too” he announced with a small smile, wiping his small tears. He must have looked ridiculous, smiling so widely with his eyes glistening from the leftover tears. Yeonjun still nodded mechanically, silently telling him to go on.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Soobin sat up to settle down next to the vampire, halfway sitting on his thigh, but not entirely. When Yeonjun tried to sit up too, Soobin simply put his hands against his chest to stop him from doing.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Stay like that. I need you to be... lied down... for this one.” Soobin winced at the choice of words.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yeonjun nodded again, question in his eyes but smile still wide and cheeks still flushed at the way that Soobin let his hands rest on his chest, where his heart should be beating.<br/>
<br/>
“The truth is that I’ve been ignoring my wolf all this time. Since the day we started this blood drinking... thing. My wolf had been speaking, yapping, whining, even howling at me. As you know my wolf is communicating with me only for situations and things that are in my best interest. But I ignored all of it.” Yeonjun’s lips formed a small ‘o’ in surprised. Soobin sighed, “I think the main reason I did that was because my inner demons made me believed that my wolf’s demands were undeserved. That I didn’t deserve to be with someone so… gentle, sweet, thoughtful and unapologetically nice.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your wolf has been communicating with you because of me?” Yeonjun muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin nodded shyly, he felt his cheeks flushing at the admittance.</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun gnawed at his slightly red swollen lip and stretched his hand to hold Soobin’s cheek, where a single tear rolled.</p><p> </p><p>“You know… You only deserve the best, Soobin. I told you this already… And for what it is worth I had my own apprehensions about my own worth. Whether I was fit for <em>you</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“I should never be the reason why you’re doubting yourself, hyung. You’re wonderful.” Soobin muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I could say the same to you.” Yeonjun smiled sadly. “I think you deserve the best, and you think I deserve the best… Guess that we just deserve each other, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Soobin’s eyes ran through the slim frame he was half straddling on, warmth taking him in waves of goosebumps.</p><p> </p><p>Then, he leaned slowly until their faces were only inches apart.</p><p> </p><p>“…You’re right.” He whispered against the vampire’s lips, smiling at the way that Yeonjun gulped at their closeness, cheeks flushed orange.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right… We’re meant to be, hyung.”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes snapped to meet Soobin’s, widening while the golden streaks in the irises were swirling frantically, <em>intensely</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“Soobin…?”</p><p> </p><p>His wolf was howling.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeonjun.” He simply said back, dropping the honorifics to make him understand.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you saying that—I mean… Are we really…?” Yeonjun asked with so much emotion, with so much hope. His eyes were shimmering in an intense golden and it was like the streaks moved to the frequency of his wolf’s constant howlers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You—You’re mine, Yeonjun… You’re my mate.”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun just smiled at him, eyes now glowing from the golden hues but also from tears gathering slowly but so beautifully.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m yours and you’re mine.”</p><p>As soon as he had said it, Yeonjun pulled him into another kiss, arms wrapping around his neck.</p><p>They both felt everything in tenfold.</p><p> </p><p>The breath skips. The smack of their lips. The warmness of their cheeks. The shivers that seemed to transfer through each other’s frame as if they were connected physically.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin felt his eyes vibrating.</p><p> </p><p>He opened them after they pulled apart slowly, not without few kisses peppered.</p><p> </p><p>He met Yeonjun’s gaze who was so wide but crinkling in happiness at the same time, if that was even possible.</p><p> </p><p>“Your eyes. They’re… brown and golden?” the vampire whispered in wander and it was just such a beautiful thing to see.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin blinked at him. He could feel the low vibration, tingling in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>He quickly pulled away a little to take his phone camera. They were still lain down, Soobin on Yeonjun, but they were comfortable.</p><p> </p><p>Like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly.</p><p> </p><p>He opened the camera and saw his reflection. His eyes were a mix of brown and golden. It began with his natural eye color until the shade approached an ochre tone to finally end with golden hues. It was a perfect blend of his natural brown eyes and Yeonjun’s golden orbs. His heart fluttered at the sight.</p><p> </p><p>His wolf howled again</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun gasped lowly, “I think I just heard your wolf.”</p><p> </p><p>Soobin gaped back, eyes still thrumming “Wait, seriously?”</p><p> </p><p>Yeonjun nodded, nuzzling Soobin’s cheeks in the process, closing briefly his eyes in the process.</p><p> </p><p>Soobin’s mind was going through miles. Then it all clicked.</p><p> </p><p>“Did we just… <em>bonded</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think so.”</p><p> </p><p>They both looked at each other in shock for a milli-second before bursting in laughter, Soobin hiding his face in the crook of Yeonjun’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>“This is crazy, Soobin.” Yeonjun wheezed out, “I can’t believe this is really happening.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me neither,” Soobin caught his breath. After he gained back his composure, he looked at Yeonjun, whose eyes were only focused on Soobin’s. Surely because of the flashing colors. “I never felt happier, though.’</p><p> </p><p>“Me, too… I—I’m in love with you.” Yeonjun muttered, looking himself surprised by his confession, even though he still had his beautiful smile on that made Soobin’s inside melt.</p><p> </p><p>He took the vampire’s face in his hands, sticking their forehead together softly. Not saying anything back as Yeonjun closed his eyes in reflex in a similar fashion.</p><p> </p><p>To be fair, all of his life, Soobin thought he would never be enough. Not enough for his parents. Not enough for his friends. Not enough for his dreams. Not enough for <em>himself</em>.</p><p> </p><p>But as he reopened his eyes to stare at the beautiful golden orbs that made his heart flutter, his body shiver and his mind so quiet from how calming he was but also so loud from how much he made him feel…</p><p> </p><p>It was easy.</p><p> </p><p>It was right.</p><p> </p><p>He would maybe never know how much he really is worth to himself. Or maybe one day, hopefully, he will.</p><p> </p><p>But one thing was sure.</p><p> </p><p>He had an idea of how much he was worth to Choi Yeonjun.</p><p> </p><p>And from how lovingly adoring Yeonjun’s gaze was, he knew that it was hardly quantifiable.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m so in love with you, too.”</p><p> </p><p>Soobin’s eyes vibrated as he closed them to meet Yeonjun’s lips. His wolf was yapping happily and Yeonjun chuckled in the kiss, probably because of it, but that only made him hold Soobin even tighter.</p><p> </p><p> Soobin’s hands snaked around Yeonjun, until he was holding him too, knowing that he would never be able to let go after that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Because Yeonjun was the embodiment of his happy place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Because he was his Magic Island.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And after years of suffering, of holding back, of giving up any kind of hope.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After all of this.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This moment together, in a secluded part of beautiful park, under the moonlight, water running to their feet.</p><p> </p><p>This was their start line.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The End!</p><p>***</p><p>Little clarifications, for those who are curious:</p><p>- Yeonjun and Soobin do end up their entire lives together. Yeonjun is immortal because he's a vampire. He turns Soobin in a vampire, making him hybrid vampire/wolf, once they move in another country so that they can start a family there (they couldn't stay in SK) - they have a daughter named Hani, and the adopt a little boy named Jamie.</p><p>- They moved out of the country before Soobin's mother got out of prison, so Soobin never sees here again, and that's for the better tbh.</p><p>- He does make amends with his father later on, since his dad was riddled with remorse and Soobin is such a forgiving soul.</p><p>- Taehyun and Beomgyu kind of take the same path (Although Beomgyu turns Taehyun sooner than Yeonjun turns Soobin. It was an impulsive decision, but they still were happy about it ) They don't have children, though and stay in SK. they create an association that is all species friendly for lgbt youth to have a safe space to live in and work with Kai who lives his happy asexual life.</p><p>-  They all grow old together despite living in different places. Not without struggles, fights and tears, but overall they wouldn't have it any other way.</p><p>----</p><p>I hope you liked it,<br/>Please tell what you thought of it in the comments babes!!!<br/>if you have any question, please do ask hehe</p><p>Im in holidays and I love to make friends!<br/>my Twt: @sanspoppinstar</p><p>ALSO LAST THING! 👀👀</p><p>I’m planning to do a new Yeonbin story, treating of things like racism, lgbt struggle to adopt children and such as, just wanted to warn you guys since it’ll be really fluffy but also heavy, I hope you’ll like it </p><p>Tell me if you would be okay with such a fic 💕</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hoped you liked it! Leave some kudos and comments my lovelies!<br/>My twt: <a href="https://twitter.com/sanspoppinstar">@sanspoppinstar</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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